I THE TEXTILE WORLD RECORD 
T S KINK BOOKS 

No. 4 



r,'=?, 



iCinks on Worsted 

Combing, Drawing 

and Spinning 

COMPILED FROM THC 

Questions ane» answers Depaatment 

OP THK 

TEXTILE WORLD RECORD 



PfllCC 75 CENTS 



LORD & NAGLE COMPANY 

Publishers 

Boston, Mass., U. S. A. 




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Class J c^V6r^ / 
Book ' / sS O 
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COPYRIGHT DEPOSrr 



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Classes oi i ams — nuj 
Finest Dress Goods. 



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II 

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WORSTED and WOOLEN CARDING EN- 
GINES— Special Designs. 

Improved LOW-PRESSURE STEAM BACK- 
WASHING MACHINES. 

WOOLEN RING DOUBLER for FANCY 
YARNS. 

SPECIAL MACHINERY for the MANUFAC- 
TURE of Imitation Woolen Yarns from 
Cotton Waste on Piatt's Patent Barchant 
System. 

RUBBING LEATHERS, PARCHMENT and 
other Supplies kept in stock. 



WE BUILD 

The Following 

Worsted IVIachinery 

Preparing Gill Boxes, before and 

after Comb. 

9 and 12 Ball Revolving Creels. 

Finishing Gill Boxes. 

Open Drawing Boxes. 

Dandy 2nd Finishers, Reducers 
and Rovers, Rabbeth Spindle and 
Two Rail Type. 

Cone Drawing, First Finishers, 2nd 
Finishers, Reducers and Rovers. 

Cap, Ring and Flyer Spinning, 
48 in. and 60 in wide. 

Two Ply Cap, Ring and Flyer 
Twisters, 48 in. and 60 in. wide. 

Universal Flyer and Ring Twisters, 
from 3 to 6 Ply. 

Single Rail Upright Spoolers. 

LOWELL MACHINE SHOP 
LOWELL. MASS. 



THE TEXTILE WORLD RECORD 
KINK BOOKS 

No. 4 

Kinks on Worsted 

Combing, Drawing 

and Spinning 



FROM THE 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS DEPARTMENT 

OF THE 

TEXTILE WORLD RECORD 

COMPILED AND EDITED BY 

CLARENCE HUTTON 



LORD & NAGLE COMPANY 

Publishers 

Boston, Mass., U. S. A. 






^\ 



^^c'6^ 



Copyright, 191 i 

LORD & NAGLE COMPANY 

Boston, Mass, 



11 



,lV'^i 



©CU2<Sl)r>57 



f^rEKaCE. 



In compiling- this book the aim has been to 
g']\e the unusual out-of-the-way information 
on worsted combing, drawing and spinning 
that results from long experience. 

The editors of the Textile World Record 
are at all times face to face with the problem 
cf securing practical information. For years 
its subscribers have been invited to make free 
use of its columns in asking questions relat- 
ing to textile manufacturing and it occurred 
to us that if some of the most important and 
most interesting of the practical questions that 
have been answered were gathered together 
in a handy form for quick reference it would 
meet a widespread want. 

This book is the result. It contains infor- 
mation which has been supplied by manufac- 
turers, superintendents and overseers from 
their private record books and their stores of 
knowledge gained by experience. Many ques- 
tions are answered and much information 
g:ven, but subscribers should remember that 
if there is any information they desire which 
is not given in this volume, it is their privi- 
lege to ask the Questions and Answers Depart- 
ment of the Textile World Record and every 
effort will be made to publish the information 
they want, provided the question is one of 
^•eneral interest to the trade. 

No effort has been made to group the ques- 
tions and answers relating to the different 
<'perations in worsted yarn manufacture in 



8 PREFACE 

any part of the book. The index has been 
carefully prepared, however, and its use 
should enable anyone to secure the informa- 
tion he seeks in the shortest possible time. 

Grateful acknowledgment is due to the men 
who have supplied the information and if 
Kinks on Worsted Combing, Drawing ana 
Spinning should benefit any of the large 
number of men for whom it is intended, both 
they and the publishers will feel that its mis- 
sion has been accomplished. 

TEXTILE WORLD RECORD. 

Lord & Nagle Company, 

Publishers 



Kinks on 
Worsted Yarn Manufacture 



standardizing Drawing Machinery 

I have recently taken charge of drawing at 
this mill. I find it is necessary to go through, 
a separate process of calculation for each 
machine when any change is made in the lot. 
Kindly tell me whether it is usual to have 
machines geared so that the same change 
wheel will give the same draft on all the boxes. 

Wilson (2191). 

It is a good plan when taking charge of 
a drawing plant, whether open or French, to 
standardize the machines and by testing de- 
termine whether a given change wheel will 
give the same amount of draft on all the 
boxes. If not, the sooner the difficulty is 
remedied the better. This is neither as diffi- 
cult nor as expensive as it may appear to be 
at first sight. The front and back rollers are 
usually made the same size for the same boxes 
by all the leading makers. The greatest differ- 
ence is in the so-called standard and double 
stud wheels. If these are made uniform, it 
does not matter which set may be going on a 
new run. 



10 KINKS OX WORSTED 

When the overseer has settled what draft or 
twist is required he can easily find what 
change wheel to use for the required count by 
merely looking up his table of relations be- 
tween change wheel and counts. As most 
change wheels are plainly stamped with the 
number of teeth, he can easily see whether 
his orders have been carried out or not. 

It is also necessary to have standard sam- 
ples of the different qualities of material, so 
as to be at any time ready to deal with a 
repeat order. J. B. 



Drafting Worsted 

What is the rule followed in finding drafts 
in the drawing room? We have run about 
the same thing for months and are putting on 
a new lot. Childs (2132). 

In judging how much draft wool will stand 
in the drawing for worsted yarn, several fac- 
tors have to be taken into account. If we 
take the generally accepted standard that 
w^ool will always stand a draft equal to its 
length, allowances have to be made for the 
difference in the staples of various growths, 
and for the various proportions of long and 
short fibers contained in each. Taking the or- 
dinary Bradford 60s as our standard, a staple 
top may have fibers 5 1/2, 5, 4, 3 and even 2 
inches long. 

Before combing (still working on the aver- 
age of ordinary 60s) the draft in the back- 



YARN MAXLFAtTlKE 11 

wash gill should not be more than 4 1/2 to 1; 
and in gilling operations before Noble combs, 
5 to 1 in first gill and about 5 1/2 to 1 in sec- 
ond gill. 

A good plan to determine what draft to use 
with a new lot is to dissect a few staples on 
a pulling board, Fig 1. Then if a good dia- 
gram, Fig. 2, is obtained, draft to full extent. 
If a poor diagram is obtained, Fig. 3, showing 




Fig. I 

a large proportion of short fibers, the draft 
should be shorter or the result will be uneven 
and twitty yarn. 

To get a diagram, break off a piece of 
sliver from the top to test for the drawing. 
Or take an average pull from the sliver off 
the card to test for draft to be used in grill- 
ing before combing. Pressing one end of 
staple firmly on pulling board with thumb of 
left hand, draw the staple across board with 
right hand. The longest fibers will be laid on 



12 KINKS ON WORSTED 

the board. Repeat this operation until noth- 
ing is left in the right hand. The diagram is 
then complete. The board should be covered 
with velvet which forms a good surface for 
holding the fibers in position. 

The quality of wool is determined by the 
fineness or diameter of the fiber. This is mis- 
leading to some extent. The staple shown in 
Fig. 2 would easily spin to 60s count. Fig. 3, 
although equally as fine, would not make a 
satisfactory yarn if drawn to more than 50s. 

It follows that good judgment must be used 
in drafting. In making up a drawing, tops of 
various qualities and lengths of staple are 
blended to make a standard. The object of 
drafting is to distribute the shorter fibers so 
that an even sliver or thread may be pro- 
duced. It would be possible to set the front 
and back rollers of a machine so that top 
measuring 2 1/2 yards to the ounce could be 
drawn down to the thickness of roving at one 
operation, but it would be so uneven as to be 
practically useless. This is the reason why in 
drawing, from 8 to 10 or 11 processes are 
used, varying with the qualities of the ma- 
terial in hand. 

If good work must be done one rule must 
be observed in all drafting operations from 
the time the wool leaves the card until it 
leaves the spinning frame or mule. The 
sliver must not travel in the same direction 
in any two consecutive operations. Previous 



Y AE X MAX UF AC T L 1 J E 



1 '^ 



to the introduction of the automatic creel, all 
tops had to be unwound after leaving the 
comb before going through the first gill in 
drawing. The reason for this is that the 
ratch or distance between delivery and draw- 



I 







Fi. 



ing rollers has always to be longer than even 
the longest fibers in the staple. Notwithstand- 
ing gills in early processes and carriers in the 
later ones there is always a danger of the 
shorter fibers being pulled through in a body 



14 K1^"KS ox WORSTED 

with a tendency to make thin places. By 
turning the sliver at each operation most of 
this difficulty is overcome. 

If the draft is too short in the early proc- 
esses, the sliver when opened and held to the 
light has a dull, cloudy appearance. If too 
much draft is used the sliver shows decided 
unevenness, with thin and thick places, which 
can easily be detected by drawing the sliver 
through the hand. 

The methods of regulating draft are all 
practically on one principle, i. e., the speeding 
up or slowing down of the front roller. In 
backwashing, gilling and finishing in the 
combing processes and in gill boxes in the 
early stages of drawing, the fallers set the 
pace and both delivery and drawing off are 
variable quantities. The back rollers in all 
these cases must be set at such a speed that 
the fallers have a slight lead. This needs 
careful watching, for, if the lead is not 
enough, the wool does not get well down into 
the pins, and some of it will ride over the 
points altogether. If, on the other hand, 
there is too much lead the fallers will disar- 
range the shorter fibers and bad sliver will be 
the result. 

It must always be remembered that gilling 
is not a combing process; and that if the 
wool is not cleared in the comb itself, the 
subsequent operations cannot remedy that 
fault. In the later stages of drawing and 



YAKX MANUFACTURE 



15 



Spinning the speed of the cylinder is the fixed 
point and both draft and twist alterations are 
based on this speed. 

Another point to be remembered in drafting, 
particularly in short, fine wools, is that in the 
case of gills the front roller should always be 
set as near to the faller as possible, except in 



T 






<so 



U 6 inches 




Fig. 3 

processes just after backwashing, where if 
wool is delivered too damp there is danger of 
plucking. 



16 KINKS OX WOKSTEl) 

In reducing, roving and spinning, where the 
front rollers are a fixture, the last set of car- 
riers must be set as near the nip of the front 
roller as possible. The object is to hold the 
shorter fibers in staple or thread until the last 
moment so -as to prevent their being dragged 
and so causing unevenness. Of course the 
same rule holds good in boxes where porcu- 
pines are used in place of gills or carriers. 

A good 60s giving a diagram like Fig. 2 
will stand a draft of 6 all through the 10 
processes of drawing, but always finish off 
with roving light enough to be able to spin 
with a low rather than too high a draft. 
Overdrafting in the spinning is an evil, and 
as this is the final process before passing into 
the piece the defect cannot be remedied. 
With a 6 draft, allowance is made for altera- 
tions, either up or down, at the first and sec- 
ond weigh boxes and spinning frame. 

When the count and the weight per ten 
yards of top are given, the numl:»er of proc- 
esses and ends up at each operation may l:>e 
determined by the amount of the draft the 
wool will stand. Thus if it is a poor short lot 
and will not stand over 5 draft and if the 
yarn is to be 60s, the number of ends put up 
in earlier processes will have to be reduced, 
resulting in reduced production. 

If it is found on examining the sli\er at 
any given box that it appears to be either 
over or underdrafted, and if the draft is not 



YAK^- MANUFACTURE 17 

known, a simple method of getting the exact 
draft, which always varies slightly from the 
theoretical draft given by counts of wheels and 
size of rollers, is to mark off say one foot of 
sliver as it is being fed to back rollers, break 
the sliver off close to the front roller, then let 
the box run until the mark gets to back roller. 
If the amount delivered by the front roller is 
then carefully measured the exact draft is 
arrived at. 

Then by a simple proportion the wheel re- 
quired to give either a larger or smaller draft 
is easily determined. If a 20 change wheel 
on back shaft in gill boxes gives a draft of 
4 to 1 and a draft of 5 is required, the new 
gear is easily calculated: (20 X 5) ^ 4 == 25 
wheel required. 

This saves calculating all the wheels and 
rollers in the box, assuming that the draft be- 
tween faller and back roller is just sufficient 
to lay the wool well into the pins of fallers, an 
adjustment which, when once arrived at, does 
not need alteration except in extreme cases, 
as when changing from a lot that lies straight 
and even to a sort that is fluffy and springy, 
or the reverse. E. A. B. 



Grading Worsted Wool 

Can you tell me how the various qualities of 
worsted wool are known and sorted out? We 
handle tops ranging from 44s to 60s quality; 
how shall I designate between a 44s and 4 68 



18 KirsKS ON WORSTED 

and other qualities which follow in numbers 
£0 close together? Sorter (1246). 

In classing and sorting wool for use in wor- 
sted manufacturing much attention is paid to 
the soundness and uniform length of staple 
and fineness of fiber. In blending, the wavl- 
ness and serrations of fiber are of great value 
and, along with the* fineness, are considered 
because they allow the fewest possible fibers 
to adhere together firmly when twisted into a 
thread, thus producing the greatest possible 
length of yarn from a given, weight of top. 
Waviness is the crimp, or curl in wool. Wool 
with large, smooth scales is preferable for 
luster effects as they reflect the light and add 
to the bright appearance so requisite in wor- 
sted fabrics. As far as possible uniform length 
and soundness should be aimed at to insure 
good spinning power. Fineness to give the 
soft handle, and straightness in arrangement 
of fiber all tend to bright, clear appearance 
which is so desirable in a well made and 
finished worsted cloth. 

Nothing but the trained hand and eye of 
an expert wool sorter can distinguish between 
a 44s and 4 6s quality. The 46s should have 
a larger proportion of wa\'y fibers. Counts do 
not depend entirely upon quality, but on the 
number of yards of yarn in 12 1/2 grains. 
Thus with 44s yarn 44 yards weigh 12 1/2 
grains, and with 60s yarn 60 yards gives the 
same weight. Although there should not be 



YARN MAM'FACTUKE 19 

much dlfRculty in spinning a fairly good 46s 
out of a standard 44s top it is not wise to 
spin up to any great extent. Although it would 
be difficult to spin good 52s out of a 44s, a 
fine top can be spun down without limit, that 
Is, there would be no difficulty in spinning a 
16s out of a 50s top. J. B. 



Calculating from Top to Yarn 

I would like an explanation of the method 
of calculating the weight of worsted from top 
to yarn. Slubber (757). 

Although the size of worsted yarn is indi- 
cated by the number of 560-yard lengths per 
pound, that is, by a fixed weight system, it is 
customary to indicate the sizes of top, draw- 
ing and roving by a fixed length systeni. 
For this latter purpose a fixed length of 40 
yards is ordinarily used and the weight ex- 
pressed usually in drams (1/16 ounce), some- 
times in grains. A fixed length is so used 
because of the convenience of making the fre- 
quent tests of the sizes of material in process. 
These tests can be made in no other way as 
easily as by measuring a given length and 
then weighing it. Forty yards has been gen- 
erally adopted because it is a convenient 
length for the purpose. It has the advantage 
of being one-fourteenth of 560 yards. The 
worsted count is, consequently, equal to the 
number of 40-yard lengths in 500 grains (1/14 



20 KINKS OX WORSTED 

lb.) and is found by dividing 500 (grains in 
1/14 lb.) by the grains in 40 yards. Con- 
versely the grains in 40 yards are found by 
dividing 500 by the worsted count; the drams 
in 40 yards by dividing 18 2/7 by the wor- 
sted count. Thus: 

500 -f- Wors. No. == Grains per 40 yards. 

18 2/7 -^ Wors. No. = Drams per 40 yarda, 

500 -^ grains per 40 yards = Wors. No. 

18 2/7 -i- drams per 40 yards = Wors. No. 

The draft of worsted in process is the ratio 
between the speed at which the strand enters 
the machine and that at which it is delivered. 
If the front rollers deliver 5 yards of roving 
while the back rollers take in 1 yard, the draft 
of the machine is 5. The strand as delivered 
will in that case be one-fifth the size of the 
strand entering the back rollers. In other 
words, a given length from the front rollers 
will weigh one-fifth as much as the same 
length of the strand entering the back rollers. 
If a slubbing weighing 16 drams per 40 yards 
enters a roving frame having a draft of 8, the 
roving delivered will weigh (16 -^ 8) 2 drams 
per 40 yards. In practice, however, two or 
more ends enter the drawing box or frame to- 
gether and are drawn into one strand. This 
makes it necessary to multiply the weight of 
the single strand at the back rollers by the 
number of ends to determine the total weight 
of the strands drawn into a single strand. If 
two ends of slubbing were drawn into one end 



YARN MANUFACTURE 21 

of roving in the preceding example, the size 
of the roving would be found as follows: 

16 (drams) X 2 (ends) = 32 drams. 

3 2 (drams) -^ 8 (draft) — 4 dram roving. 

In the following table the drafts of a top 
weighing 25 6 drams (16 ounces) per 40 yards 
are illustrated for the eight successive proc- 
esses including spinning. 





Drams 






Drams 


Process 


Entering- 


Doublings 


Draft 


Delivered 


I 


256 


6 


6 


256 


2 


2^6 


6 


6 


256 


3 


256 


5 


8 


160 


4 


160 


4 


8 


80 


5 


80 


4 


8 


40 


6 


40 


2 


8 


10 


7 


10 


2 


8 


2K 


Spinning 


2>^ 


2 


10 


% 



The calculations of these weights are made 
as already explained in the case of the 4- 
dram slubbing. The spinning frame delivers 
a yarn weighing one-half dram per 40 yards. 
The count of the yarn is thus found as al- 
ready explained: 

18.3 -f- .5 = 36.6 Wors. No. 

It is evident that in calculating backward 
from yarn to top the process must be reversed. 
To find the weight of roving required to pro- 
duce a 1/2 dram yarn with 2 ends at back and 
a draft of 10 the process is as follows: 

1/2 (dram) X 10 (draft) = 5 drams per 40 
vards of 2 ends. 



22 KINKS OX WORSTED 

5 (drams) -i- 2 (ends) — 2 1/2 drams per 
40 yards single. 

If, as is sometimes the case, the size of the 
sliver in process is indicated by the fixed 
weight system, say by the hanks per pound, 
the calculation is reversed. The following ex- 
ample illustrates this: 

Ex. Find the size of yarn spun from 2 
ends of 7-hank roving with a draft of 10. 

7 (hank, single) -^ 2 = 3 1/2 hank, double. 

3 1/2 (hank) X 10 = 35 hank yarn, Wora. 
No. 

Conversely: 

35 (Wors. No.) -^ 10 = 3 1/2 hank, double. 

3 3/2 (hank) X 2 = 7 hank, single roving. 

The hank or fixed weight system, however, 
is inconvenient for worsted in process because, 
as already stated, the tests of the slivers for 
size must be made by a fixed length, ordinarily 
40 yards. The calculations with the grain 
standard (grains per 40 yards usually) are 
made in the same manner as with the dram 
standard. 



Twist in Worsted Yarn 

Some time ago I saw an article in the Tex- 
tile World Record on calculating the twist in 
worsted yarns. I am under the impression 
this was translated from a foreign publication. 
It possible, will you reprint it or send me a 
ccpy? Ward (2148). 

The article referred to by Ward follows: 
Calculation of the twist of yarn, no matter 



YAUJS MANUFACTURE 23 

what the material may be, is based on the 
yarn count. The yarn count is in inverse pro- 
portion to the cross section area of the thread. 
For example, the sectional area of No. 20 yarn 
is double that of No. 40. It follows from this 
that the square root of the yarn count is the 
correct basis for calculating the number of 
turns of twist. The square root of the count 
is multiplied by the coefficient, c, which is de- 
termined by experiment to suit the require- 
ments of the yarn. Experience has shown, 
however, that by this method the higher num- 
bers have proportionately less twist than the 
lower numbers. To remedy this a gradual 
increase in the coethcient has been proposed. 

Another and better method consists in de- 
creasing the square root by a constant num- 
ber. This results in a proportionately greater 
twist for the higher counts as is shown by 
the following illustration. It is assumed that 
20 turns per inch is the right twist for No. 45 
worsted yarn. Then: 

V45 = 6.708. 

20 ^ 6.708 = 3, constant. 

Calculating with this constant the twist of 
3 0, 4 5 and 60, we have the following: 

V30 X 3 = 16 1/2, turns per inch. 

V45 X 3 ==20, turns per inch. 

VeO X 3 == 23, turns per inch. 

As has been stated, this method results in 
:glving the higher numbers a softer twist than 



24 KINKS 0:S MOKSTED 

is given to the lower counts. By reducing the 
square root by the constant 1, for example, a. 
new twist constant is found as follows: 

\/45 — 1 = 5.708. 

20 (turns) ^ 5.708 = 3 1/2, twist constant. 
Then, 

(VSO — 1) X 3 1/2 == 15 1/2, turns per 
inch. 

(\/45 — 1) X 3 i/2 = 20, turns per inch. 

(Veo — 1) X 3 1/2 = 23 1/2, turns per 
inch. 

In this way the twist in the 4 5s remains the 
same; that in the 30s is slightly reduced, 
while the twist in the 60s is increased slightly. 
The size of the twist constant must of course 
be made to suit the requirements of the yarn. 

When calculating the twist of ply yarn by 
this method the resulting count of the ply 
yarn is used. Thus, 

2/40s would be 20s. 

3/40s would be 13 1/3. 

4/40s would be 10, etc. 

The size of the constant, which is sub- 
tracted from the square root, varies with the 
number of ply. For single yarn, as we have 
said, it is 1; for 2-ply, 1/2; 3-ply, 1/3; 4-ply, 
1/4. 



Adding Moisture in Finishing 

In finishing worsted top is it better to add 
the moisture on the first or the second fin- 



YARN MANUFACTURE 25 

Isher? What is the standard for moisture, 
allowed or generally recognized? 

Bates (2136). 

It is preferable to moisten the top in the 
first process, as the roller only dampens one 
side of the sliver in any case. If this is done 
in the first box the moisture gets well blended 
with fibers in passing through the second gilL 

The following is the standard for moisture 
allowed, which is generally recognized: 

Tops combed in oil, a regain of 19 per cent. 

Tops combed without oil, a regain of 18 1/4 
per cent. John Brown. 



Cost of Manufacturing: Worsted Yarn 

Can you tell me where I can get a table 
showing the labor cost in worsted spinning? 
We are not spinners, but I wish to get some 
information that will help me to find per- 
c-entage cost of labor and general expenses of 
yarn production. Worsted (73). 

The labor cost of manufacturing 3/8-blGod 
worsted yarn, spun to about No. 3 2, is as fol- 
lows in this locality at this time. The esti- 
mate is based upon about 5,000 pounds of 
yarn. 

Sorting, 10,618 lbs., at 64c. per C $67.9ff 

Scouring and Drying, 10,000 lbs., Grease 

Weight, at $1.50 per M 15.00 

Carding and Combing, 5,655 lbs., Top, at 

$1.30 per C 73.52 



26 



KIAKS OX WORSTED 



Drawing, 5,3 72 lbs., Roving, at $1.75 

per C 94.01 

Spinning, 5,372 lbs.. Roving at $2.00 per 

C 107.44 

Twisting, 5,090 lbs.. Yarn, at $2.50 per 

C 127.25 

Spooling, 5,090 lbs.. Yarn, $1.75 per C. 89.08 



$574.26 
T^arp, 5,090 lbs., at 11.28 cents per lb. 
Extra for winding filling at .6c. per lb. 
Total labor, at 11.88 cents per lb. 

The above includes only the labor cost for 
the various processes. The general expense 
ATaries very much in different mills, and we 
should say that three cents per pound would 
be ample to cover the expenses outside of 
those given in the table above. This would 
make the cost of manufacturing 2/3 2s wor- 
sted yarn 14.88 cents per pound. 

Duncan. 

T have read with much interest your reply 
to "Worsted" regarding the cost of manufac- 
turing worsted yarn. Your estimate is about 
right, so far as the average mill goes, but 
labor conditions and mill equipment vary so 
much in different mills that it is possible for 
some mills to manufacture yarn at a less cost 
than others. The last six or nine months 
have been a time of very close figuring on the 



YARN MANUFACTURE 27 

part of worsted spinners to make both ends 
meet, as the price of yarn has been down 
nearly to the cost of top. Take, for instance, 
the case which you cited, of a small plant, 
with a weekly production of 5,090 pounds 
2/3 2s. If this production can be turned out 
at a cost of 12.88 cents, instead of 14.88 cents, 
it will make a difference of $101.80 per week, 
which is frequently enough to turn the scale 
from a profit to a loss. Falcon. 



Hints on Backwashing 

I am in a position where a good, general 
consideration of backwashing by a practical 
man, covering liquors, drying, gilling and han- 
c'lling after backwashing, would be of great 
help. Can you give me this? 

Wisgill (2040). 

The reason why carded worsted wool is 
backwashed is that any dust or dirt remain- 
ing after carding shall be removed, and thus 
a brighter appearance be given to the finished 
top. 

It should be borne in mind that backwash- 
ing is simply a rinsing and by no means a 
scouring process. The rinsing is just sufR- 
cient to wash out all traces of oil used in card- 
ing, and any other loose matter adhering to 
the fibers. In order that this may be effi- 
ciently done, the slivers should enter the bath 
or bowl free from all twist, and as open and 



28 KINKS ON WORSTED 

flat as possible. Where the slivers are brought 
to the backwasher in cans direct from coilers 
on cards, this is an easy matter. If the sliver 
from the cards is made into balls, they should 
be put into creels and under no circumstances 
should the sliver be drawn from the inside of 
the ball; otherwise the twist formed will to 
some extent hinder the liquor from getting 
into, and passing freely away from the sliver 
at squeeze or nip of rollers. 

For the liquor the water should be pure. 
The best and most economical way of obtain- 
ing a supply of water is to have a tank, into 
which all the condensed water from steam 
traps attached to combs and cylinder steam 
service can be run. This should provide about 
as much water as is required, and besides re- 
quiring less soap, owing to its softness, the 
water will also be warm, thus requiring less 
live steam to bring it up to the required tem- 
perature. 

If the tank is fixed on brackets or pillars, 
slightly higher than the top of the bowl level, 
no pumping or forcing will be required. 

The cleansing should be accomplished 
chiefly in the first bowl. The amount of soap 
varies with the different qualities of wool, so 
no definite formula can be given. In the 
second or finishing bowl, only enough soap to 
enable the wool to pass through squeeze roll- 
ers without cutting or fraying should be 
used. 



YAKN MANUFACTUKE 



29 



Although low qualities of soap with a high 
percentage of cotton seed oil may be used for 
some classes of wool in the scouring process 
before carding, the best soap obtainable 
should alone be used for backwashing. It 
should be noted that the best soap has the 
lowest scouring power. Appended is an 
analysis of three standard makes of soap for 
backwashing purposes: 

ABC 

Water 44.00 40.80 56.80 

Fatty matter, uusaponified • • • .70 .50 .40 

Fatty matter, saponified 43-23 46.23 33.71 

Free caustic potash 22 none none 

Carbonate of potash 4.41 4.48 3.03 

Combined potash (R7O) 6.50 7.40 5.31 

Potasium chloride .74 .39 .65 

Insoluble mineral matter 20 .20 .ic 

100.00 100.00 100.00 
Scouring yower 40 38 48 

The fatty matter is olive oil with a small 
proportion of tallow. 

In many mills when a scouring liquor has 
been made of the required strength the ma- 
chine is started, and no further attention is 
paid to it, except to add a little soap from 
time to time, or to turn on the steam to 
warm the liquor, until it becomes charged 
with dirt and discolored. Then the machine 
is stopped, the old liquor run off and a new 



30 



KI?sKS ON WOESTED 



one made. This system has many disadvan- 
tages. Besides loss of time while changing 







s»r 



kV 

llll 






the liquor, the slivers which are resting on 
cylinders have a tendency to scorch. There 



YARN MANUFACTURE 31 

is, moreover, a difference in color between the 
slivers from the old and the new liquor. 

A far better method is to have a constant 
renewal going on all the time the machine is 
running, Fig. 1. This can easily be done by 
leaving the water valve slightly open after 
making the first liquor for the day, allowing 
enough to enter to cause a slight overflow 
from second to first bowl. A siphon, Fig. 1, 
takes the water from the bottom of the sec- 
ond bowl, and thus the dirtiest water runs off 
first. Another siphon is fixed in the first 
bowl, this time on the side of the bowl, and 
carries the dirty liquor direct to the drain. 

Bach bowl should have a good thermom- 
eter, fixed so that it can easily be seen by the 
attendant, and the liquor should be kept at 
an even temperature. This is a very import- 
ant point, and for fine wools the temperature 
should not exceed 110° F. 

Fig. 1 shows a soap tank fixed on a roller 
cross bar. This is fitted with a plunger regu- 
lated by a train of wheels, which can be al- 
tered to any speed, giving the supply of soap 
required. Being driven from end of roller the 
supply stops as soon as the machine stops. 
Where this system is used the soap should be 
diluted with two to four times its weight of 
water, so that it flows easily from tank to 
bowl. 

The bottom squeeze rollers should always be 



32 KINKS ON WORSTED 

brass coated, as the difference in first cost be- 
tween brass coated and all iron rollers is soon 
made up in the saving in lapping, and free- 
dom from rusting when the machines have 
to stand for a short time. To get a better 
grip on the wool the brass should be slightly 
scratch fluted. The top roller should have an 
outer coating or lapping made from long 
Scotch wool, slightly twisted. Cotton warp 
lapping may cost less, but when it begins to 
fray, the loose fibers mixing with the wool 
which is passing through means damage to 
the dyed and finished cloth. 

It is permissible in starting a new machine 
to use about two layers of gasket for a base, 
then from three to five of wool for outer lap- 
pings. The first time the rollers are stripped 
the gasket should be thrown aside and the 
bottom layers made from the lapping which 
has previously been used for outer covering. 

Great care must be taken in lapping to 
have every layer as even as possible, and 
every round pressed firmly against the one 
preceding it. The nip of the rollers should 
be as near the level of the liquor as possible 
so that the slivers come to nip fully charged 
with liquor. By having the water suddenly 
forced out of the sliver there is a better 
chance for any loose dirt to be cleared off 
than if most of the water has drained off be- 
fore coming to the nip. 

All rollers should be dead-weighted, thus 



YARN -MA>-UFACTURE 33 

securing an even pressure whatever bulk of 
wool is going through, minimizing any danger 
of cutting. With some classes of open wool 
there is at times a tendency for the sliver to 
cling to the roller and form a lap which may 
lead to serious consequences. A good way of 
detecting this difficulty is to have a bell fixed 
to the framework of the machine near the ex- 
treme end of the weight lever, with a pro- 
jecting finger over the end of the lever. When 
any extra thickness raises the weight lever 
above its normal position, the bell is rung and 
the attention of the attendant is at once called 
to the trouble. 

Whenever the rollers are stripped for re- 
lapping, all the joints and pins in compound 
levers should be taken out, cleaned and 
slightly oiled. This will prevent wear and 
tend to easy action of the levers. 

The cylinders of backwashing machines 
have for some time received more attention 
than any other part. The cylinders of the or- 
dinary type are of iron and consist of a 
highly polished shell running on a steam 
chest upon which it works. The wool is dried 
by passing from one cylinder to another, alter- 
nate sides of the sliver coming in contact 
with drying surface as it passes over the 
series of cylinders. Unfortunately, with 
heavy wools, the amount of heat required and 
the length of time that each side has to rest 
on the hot surface has a tendency to scorch 



34 KINKS ON WORSTED 

it. To overcome this difficulty tlie multiple 
cylinder backwasher was adopted by many 
firms. Still with this style only the outer sur- 
faces of the slivers come in contact with the 
drying surface. When heavy loads were put 
through the machine the core of the sliver 
has been found to be only slightly drier than 
when it left the squeeze rollers. Recently, 
however, two backwashing machines have 
been patented in which this defect has been, 
entirely overcome. 

In both machines actual contact between 
wool and heating surface has been done away 
with, and the drying is done by a current of 
hot air passing entirely through the slivers, 
thus ensuring uniform drying of all parts. 
This is accomplished by making the shells of 
either wire gauze or perforated brass plates. 
Instead of the wool being dried solely by con- 
tact with surface of cylinder, in one machine 
hot air is forced through the apertures of the 
perforated surface. 

In the other machine hot air is drawn 
through the slivers by means of an exhaust 
fan fixed over the top of the cylinder box. 
In this machine the whole of the cylinder is 
inclosed. Doors at the side and top enable 
the attendant to get at any slivers that may 
break. On the gearing side of the machine, 
which is also inclosed, thus forming a heating 
chamber, all steam pipes are fixed and every- 
thing about the machine tends to abolish the 



YARN MANUFAfTVKE 35 

uncomfortable heat which prevails in most 
backwashing sheds. The exhaust pipe from 
the fan can be taken into the open air if de- 
sired. 

There is no danger of scorching. The hot 
air passing- through slivers even when the 
machine is standing lifts the fibers, tlius 
making them loftier, easier to gill and better 
to spin. The drying, it is claimed, is accom- 
plished nearly 50 per cent, quicker, saving 
both steam and power. No more space is 
taken up than with the old style machine, 
and in both there is the greatest simplicity in 
manipulation. 

In all classes of wool the draft in the back- 
wash gill should be under rather than over 
what the wool will stand. For low classes of 
wool fallers pinned 12 per inch No. 16 wire 
will be found suitable. For fine botany sorts, 
up to 20 per inch with 20s wire will not be 
found too fine. 

When the balls are taken from the back- 
washer they should not be thrown into wicker 
skips, unless the latter are lined. They should 
be carefully piled in boxes or bins. Any out- 
lay in this direction is soon recouped by sav- 
ing in waste. 

The purest water, the best quality of soap 
and oil, keeping every part of the machine in 
the best possible condition, these are essential 
to the best results in backwashing. 

E. A. B. 



3G KIXKS ox WORSTED 

Weight of Sliver in Tops 

Js there any standard of the weight of sliver 
In tops? If so will you tell us what it is? If 
there is no standard can you give the weights 
that are common? Weston (2186). 

Varying weights of sliver are the cause of 
many complaints from spinners who buy tops 
from different sources, as it is difficult for the 
spinner to get satisfactory blends from vary- 
ing weights of sliver. 

Although there is no real standard, the fol- 
lowing are those more generally used and are 
recommended by the Bradford Chamber of 
Commerce. 

Prepared tops IVz ozs. per 10 yds. 

Carded Crossbred tops ...6 ozs. per 10 yds. 
Botany tops 4 ozs. per 10 yds. 

Charles Dryden. 



Oil in Combing 

Kindly let me know whether the quantity 
and kind of oil used affects the production of 
machines and also give me the quantity of oil 
generally used. I would also like a test to 
determine the quantity of oil in a top. 

Tenney (2196). 

Careful oiling makes the wool pass more 
easily through the pins in the combs and 
fallers, and enables the comber to get a 
slightly better tear, and with rather less waste. 
As slightly longer drafts can be used in the 



YAKN MANUFACTURE 37 

preparing and finishing processes, without 
much danger of breaking the fiber, a greater 
weight of wool can be put through the same 
machines in a given time than if the wool 
were combed without oil. 

The oil also helps to bind the fibers to- 
gether, so there is less fly or fluff. This ap- 
plies also to the drawing and spinning, unless 
the tops have been kept in stock too long, or 
badly stored and the oil has become rancid. 
If this happens a new trouble arises for both 
drawer and spinner; viz., clogginess, uneven 
threads and the fibers clinging to fallers, 
leather sheets and rollers, causing a large per- 
centage of waste. 

Although it is not of vital importance that 
the purest olive oil be used to lubricate wool 
to enable it to pass more easily through the 
card, yet when the carded sliver has been 
backwashed nothing but the best Gallipoli 
Candia or Spanish olive oil must be used, 
otherwise bad after-effects will be the result. 

The reason why there is nothing better than 
good olive oil is, that it does not dry out of 
the sliver, and oxidizes very slowly according 
as it contains much or little free oleic acid. 

Most of the oils from southern Europe con- 
tain as little as 5 per cent, of free oleic acid. 
These may be used for the finest or any 
classes of wools with safety. Even oils con- 
taining up to 8 or 9 per cent, give good re- 
sults, but above that there is a danger of clog- 



«3» KINKS ON WORSTED 

giness, unless the tops are carried through 
spinning processes within a short time. The 
acid also has a bad effect on the pins of 
combs and fallers, thus costing more than the 
difference between a good and a poor oil. 

Every consignment of oil should be care- 
fully tested, and any showing over 8 per cent, 
should be rejected if intended for use on fine 
wools. Another reason for testing is that 
olive oil is often adulterated, a thing easily 
done and not always easy to discover, except 
by chemical tests. Poppy, cocoanut, rape, 
linseed, whale and cottonseed (most of these 
drying oils) are the most frequent adulter- 
ants used. 

If the oil be much adulterated the follow- 
ing sulphuric acid tests will demonstrate it: 

(1) Place 10 drops of the oil to be tested 
in a colorless glass vessel, and into the cen- 
ter drop a small drop of sulphuric acid. If 
the oil is pure it will assume a pale yellow 
appearance, which gradually changes to a 
yellowish green. If adulterated with poppy it 
turns to a deep yellow, which at length goes 
almost opaque. 

(2) By the same test, rape oil produces a 
ring of greenish blue, around the drop of acid, 
with some light yellow brown streaks in the 
center. 

(3) If linseed oil is present, it becomes 
almost black. 

(4) Whale oil, when the acid is dropped 



I 



YARN MANUFACTURE 39 

in, produces a movement in the center grad- 
ually extending over it, and at length shows 
a red tint with violet edges. 

(5) If lard or tallow has been used as an 
adulterant the liquid acquires a decided brown 
shade. 

(6) A simple test to detect the presence 
of cotton seed oil is to pour clean water into 
a shallow vessel, then let one drop of the oil 
to be tested fall into it. If pure Gallipoli 
(olive) it will at once break up into fragments. 
A sheet of white paper gently laid upon it, if 
afterwards held up to the light, will show a 
rose-shaped webby figure. If it be adulter- 
ated with cotton seed oil the figure will be 
blurred. 

In testing olive soap for backwashing fine 
wools, if a small portion be spread upon a 
plate, and a few drops of sulphuric acid be 
put upon it, it will retain its brown color if 
pure. If mixed with cotton-seed it will turn 
red. Of course in order to obtain the exact 
amount of adulteration, it is necessary that 
the tests be carried out by a properly qualified 
analytical chemist, but the above roughly 
show the presence of adulterants. 

Although there is no fixed standard for the 
amount of oil to be used, yet it has been 
found that from 2 to 3 parts of oil to 100 
parts of top is about the best average, being 
sufficient to make the wool work freely, with- 
out being excessi^-e. 



40 KINKS ON WORSTED 

To test a top in order to know the quantity 
of oil it contains, put the sample (previously- 
weighed) into a drying oven kept at 212° 
until all the water is evaporated, say for half 
an hour. Then weigh to determine the abso- 
lute dry weight, and wash the sample care- 
fully in a vessel containing water at about 
120°, adding a little good soap. Care must be 
taken that no fibers escape after wringing 
with the hands. Again rinse in clean warm 
water to remove any traces of soap and 
wring through perfectly clean, smooth rollers. 
Again put the wool into the drying oven, 
allowing about one hour, frequently testing 
the weight and when all evaporation has 
ceased the difference in weight between the 
first and second dryings shows the amount of 
oil in the top. John Brown. 



Draft of a Noble Comb 

How is the draft of a Noble comb calcu- 
lated? Beaver (412). 

If by draft Beaver means the ratio between 
the speed at which the sliver is drawn from 
the comb and that at which it is delivered to 
the comb, the calculation is as follows: 

Example. The top shaft of a Noble comb 
is running 59 4 revolutions per minute and is 
connected with the gear rack on the large 
circle by three driving gears, 16, 20, and 10, 
and three driven gears, 3 2, 66, and 264. The 



YARN JrANUFACTURE 41 

dra Wing-Off roller is 1 1/4 inches in diameter 
and is driven from the top shaft by two driv- 
ing gears, 16 and 40, and two driven gears^ 
32 and 50. Find the draft of the comb. 

594 X [(16 X 20 X 10) h- (32 X 66- 
X 264)] = 3.41. 

Each press knife is so adjusted that at each 
revolution of the large circle, 1 inch of sliver 
from each end is delivered to the circle, and 
consequently 3.41 inches of sliver will be de- 
livered per minute. The speed of the draw- 
ing-off roller is calculated as follows: 

594 X [(16 X 40) ^ (32 X 50)] X 1 1/4 
X 22/7 = 933 inches per minute. 

The draft or ratio between the speed of the 
drawing-off rollers and the speed of the sliver 
fed to the circle by each knife is found as fol- 
lows: 

933 (in.) -^ 3.41 (in.) = 274, draft. 



Production of Worsted Cards and Combs 

What is a fair production for 10 hours on a. 
No. 72 worsted card, 60 inches wide and also 
what is the production of a Noble comb on 1/4 
Mood stock and on low 1/4 blood? What 
wages are paid to comb tenders? 

Otter (854). 

A production of 1,000 pounds in ten hours 
is a fair average for a No. 72 worsted card, 60 
inches wide. Some spinners are doing better 
than this, one manufacturer claiming 1,100' 
pounds a day. The ten hours' production of a 



42 KINKS OX WOH8TED 

Koble comb on 1/4 blood stock or lower is 
about 700 pounds a day. Wages vary for 
tenders from $6.50 to $7.50 a week. This of 
course depends entirely on locality. 



Rolls or Neps in Carding 

I send you samples of twisted rolls or neps 
which form on our cards, when carding Eng- 
lish 46s. These rolls form between fancy and 
■dcffer and can be seen dropping on the floor 
after having been drawn down by doffer. The 
«peed of the tumbler has been changed, but 
Avithout improvement. The card is 48 by 4 8 
with 3 4 wire on cylinders. Fancy, 9 inches, 
lJ8s wire, open set. Altering position of work- 
ers has no effect. This difficulty is encoun- 
tered with 46s grade only. Ralph (2182). 

The idea that one style of card will do all 
classes of work has long been exploded; the 
best practice is to have special cards for spe- 
-cial work, that is, within reasonable limits. 
Both coarse and fine cards will do a good 
range of work, but each style has its limit. 

On careful examination of the rolls or fribs 
sent, it is found that they contain mostly the 
best and longest fibers, and are not, as might 
easily be supposed, composed of short, fribby 
•wool. 

Although they show themselves most at the 
finishing end of the card, that is, after the 
fancy has lifted the stock in the cylinder 
ready for the doffer, yet judging from the size 
of the fancy and supposing that other rollers 



YARN MANUFACTLliE 43 

are of sizes in proportion, there is not the 
least doubt but that the nucleus of roll is 
formed farther back in the card. Whether 
this is so or not could be best judged by 
either seeing the card, or by knowing the size 
of roller, speeds, and counts of wire. Judging 
from the few details given it seems as if the 
best thing to do is to speed up the fancy, and 
to let it work lighter on the cylinder. 

The sample sent, 4 6s, is as a rule a free open 
wool, and under ordinary circumstances easy 
to card giving a good, free and clear sliver. 
In fact this count is at the border line which 
divides low from fine grades. 

Great care is required in scouring. If too 
lightly scoured there is a tendency to gummi- 
ness. If liquor is used too hot or too heavily 
charged with soap, it has a tendency to come 
to card lean and stringy. 

With this grade of wool it is a good plan 
to run the doffers on both cards at a rather 
higher speed than is usual, so as to take all 
the wool well out of the cylinder. Though 
this produces a small sliver, it makes no dif- 
ference to the weight turned out, the only 
difference being that more slivers must be 
put up at the backwasher to get the backwash 
sliver the right weight. 

The wool itself does not require much card- 
ing. The fancy has not much work to do, for 
as a rule there is not a preponderance of 



44 KINKS ON WORSTED 

short fibers and the stock is easily raised from 
the cylinder. 

A probable cause is that the fancy and 
workers are too small in diameter. It is a 
well known fact that the larger the diameter 
of the rollers in contact with one another 
both in carding and combing, the better the 
results. Although there may not seem much 
difference in contact between a 9 -inch and a 
12-inch fancy and the swift, yet in practice 
it is found that there is a great advantage in 
using the larger size. 

The table of counts of wire and speeds gives 
what has proved to be a good machine for 
dealing with the quality or grade under dis- 
cussion, besides being efficient in both higher 
and lower qualities within reasonable limits. 

Clothing and speed of rollers for carding 
46s to 50s or 52s X bred. 

Wire Count Crown R.P.M. 

1st Licker . . . Garnett . . . . SVs 

2d Licker 24 60 6 12^ 

3d Licker 26 80 8 50 

4th Licker 30 100 10 100 

1st Divider 24 60 6 3% 

2d Divider 26 80 8 3^,^ 

3d Divider 29 90 9 ZVz 

4th Divider 31 110 10 4^4 

1st Cylinder 31 110 10 100 

1st TVorkers 32 115 10 3^4 

1st Strippers 27 80 80 277 



YARN MAXUFACTUEE 45 



1st Fancy 29 

1st Doffer 3 2 

Angle Stripper ... 30 

2d Cylinder 3 3 

2d Workers 34 

2d Strippers 30 

2d Fancy 31 

2d Doffer 3 4 



60 


Y 


514 


115 


10 


4% 


110 


10 


500 


125 


12 


100 


130 


12 


SVa 


90 


9 


277 


70 


7 


516 


130 


12 


4% 




Bradford. 



Machinery for a Worsted Yarn Mill 

We are planning- to build a small worsted 
yarn mill (Bradford system) adapted for yarn 
of medium size and quality, say 2/ 3 2s to 2/3 6s, 
three-eighths and quarter blood. Please in- 
form us what machines wull be required to 
balance one set of drawing on such work. 

South West (319). 

A worsted yarn mill such as our correspon- 
dent has in mind would require worsted ma- 
chinery as follows: 

Preparatory and carding machinery: 2-bowl 
scouring machine, each bowl 18 feet long; 2 
60 by 50 single cylinder cards; 2 self feeds; 2 
single gill boxes; 1 ball winder; 2 combs; 2 
can finishing gills; 2 single ball finishing gills; 
2 Noble combs. 

Drawing and spinning machinery: 1 revolv- 
ing ball creel for 15 balls; 1 double can gill 
box set over 4 1/2-inch fallers; 1 2-spindle gill 
set over 4 1/2-inch fallers, bobbin, 14 by 9; 1 
4-spindle drawing box, bobbin, 14 by 9; 1 6- 



46 KI>'KS ON WORSTED 

spindle weigh box, bobbin, 14 by 8; 1 8-spindle 
finisher, bobbin, 12 by 7; 1 8-spindle finisher, 
bobbin, 11 by 6; 16-spindle reducer, bobbin, 9 
by 5; 4 3 2-spindle dandies, bobbins, 6 by 4; 
6 160-spindle cap spinning frames, 3 1/2-inch 
pitch; 3 160-cap trap twisters. 



Finishing Worsted Top 

We are interested in the subject of finishing 
worsted tops and would like to get information 
covering the points of special importance. 

T. S. & Co. (2113). 

By finishing is meant every process after 
the fibers have actually passed through the 
pins of the combing machine. It applies to 
all classes of wool generally, but to the finer 
classes more particularly. Whatever class of 
wool is used, a carefully finished top will al- 
waj's have the preference as a marketable 
commodity. It is necessary, in order to get 
the best results, and to put a smart looking 
top on the market, not only to make sure that 
it is well combed, i. e., freed from all knots, 
neps, burrs, etc., and the fibers all laid par- 
allel, but also that the sliver is even, ribbon- 
like and, without twisting, leaving the top, 
when it comes to the drawing process, with- 
out "clicking" or fraying of the edges. 

After seeing that the pin work is in good 
order, circles truly set. and wool well put in, 
to ensure a clean combed sliver, the leather 
sheets on draw-off rollers demand attention. 



YARN MANUFACTUEE 47 

When these become slightly worn and the 
sliver draws off with a curly edge, or if there 
is a tendency to cut the fiber, they should at 
once be replaced. There is no economy in 
running the sheets after they cease to draw 
a continuously even sliver. If the addition of 
a little weight to pressure springs does not 
effect this, the sheet should at once be dis- 
carded. 

Sometimes an evenly drawn sliver when, 
leaving the tin in which it has been coiled, 
will show in places a single fiber wrapped 
round the sliver. This is generally caused by 
some little roughness in the delivery plate of 
collar. This can be remedied by working out 
the dent with a very smooth file. Inattention 
to this means broken fibers in passing through 
gill. Again, the tins into which the sliver is 
coiled should be frequently examined to see 
that there are no jagged edges to tear or 
break the sliver. 

For fine, tender wools it is best to have a 
creel fastened to the first finisher, large enough 
to overhang the whole range of tins, with 
rollers over every row of tins. These assist 
the slivers and can easily be driven by gear 
from back roller of finishing box. 

The guides in creeper plate should be so 
set as to deliver one inch narrower than the 
pinned-over part of fallers. 

The pins in the fallers should be carefully 
looked after and kept in the best of repair. 



48 KINKS ON WORSTED 

Even with the best classes of wool waste ac- 
cumulates between the pins and should be 
regularly cleaned out. If not, there is not 
only a tendency to irregular drawing, but bits 
of the waste will be caught by the front 
roller and if mixed with the sliver will injure 
it. 

Blunt or split pins in the fallers detach 
fibers from the body of the sliver passing 
through the gill. On coming to front roller 
the loose fibers are rolled rather than drawn, 
and show badly when the sliver is closely ex- 
amined. When putting new leather sheets, 
on front rollers care must be used to put no 
more pressure on than is absolutely required. 

In the case of dead-weighting the weights 
should be moved along the levers a little at a 
time and as soon as the rollers draw a nice 
free sliver no additional weight should be 
used, until required by the natural wearing of 
the leather. Where spiral springs are used 
the pressure should be increased in the same 
gradual way. 

It is when the sliver has left the front roll- 
ers of the first finisher that moisture is added 
to make up for evaporation during the comb- 
ing process. 

It is advisable to have the first finishers set 
in a straight line, and at the same level. Thus 
a range of 8, 10, or even more boxes can be 
fed from one tank of water. At the end of 
the row of boxes the feed cistern, with ball 



YAK^- MANUFACTURE 49 

and stopcock feed, should be fixed. The pipe 
from this can be taken at or below the floor 
level and the troughs at the various boxes 
kept supplied by upright pipes. 

The advantage of this method is that al- 
though every box can be geared for any de- 
sired amount of moistening yet by having a 
regulating overflow in feed cistern, the water 
level in all the boxes can be raised at once, 
without having to touch the gear in the case 
of a sudden rise of temperature. 

The dampening roller should in all cases 
be made of brass to prevent rust, and be 
geared to the front roller in such a way as to 
be easily altered when required. 

It is preferable to make the slivers from 
the first gill of such a weight that only two 
will be required to feed the second. Then by 
using the double guide the slivers are laid 
flat, one upon the other. This prevents the 
wild appearance which tops show at times 
when the slivers are fed side by side, and es- 
pecially if a number of light slivers are fed 
instead of two heavy ones. 

The same remarks apply to the second 
finisher as to first as regards the guides being 
narrower than bed of fallers, draft, pressure 
and care of leather sheet. 

After the sliver has passed through front 
rollers in second finisher, another important 
point crops up, i. e., the folding of the edges 
of the sliver before finally passing and form- 



50 KIXKS ON WORSTED 

ing- part of the top. In cases where the tops 
have to be taken to drawing soon after comb- 
ing much waste is likely to be made if this is 
not attended to. Various contrivances have 
been tried to overcome this difficulty, among 
them being revolving funnels, in some in- 
stances scored with a file, but this wraps one 
edg-e under and the other over the sliver and 
is apt to roughen the sliver as in the case of 
the coiler, already mentioned. Others have 
tried fixed funnels with triangular instead of 
circular holes. Another fairly successful 
method is to dispense with the funnel alto- 
g-ether and pass the sliver through a flat grid 
with folding bar set at an angle. About the 
best contrivance is the one known as Shaw's 
folder, in which the sliver passes over a broad 
bar whose surface is a section of a circle and 
Is set well above the funnel. The sliver on 
leaving this bar has both its edges folded 
under by passing through the funnel. The 
edges meet in the center of the sliver and are 
always on outside of the top. Thus the next 
layer has its solid side pressed on this, and 
when the tops come to be used in drawing, 
the edges of the sliver are in no danger of 
fraying, "clicking," or causing breakage of the 
sliver or undue waste. 

All tops which have to be packed should be 
neatly wrapped in brown or white packing 
paper, so that no dust or foreign matter can 
get on them. Bradford. 



YARN MANUFACTt'KE ol 

Arrangement of Finishing Gill Boxes 

I am interested in a plan for arranging 
finishing gill boxes and any particulars of 
boxes for low cross bred wool and for fine 
Botany. Why is it claimed that a one-story 
tuilding is best for top making? 

Nash (2168). 

In setting out finishers ample room for the 
sliver cans should be left between the combs 
and first finisher, as 14 to 18 cans will be re- 
quired to feed the first finisher. An over- 
hanging creel should be fixed to the first box 
and so arranged that the rollers are over the 
center of each row of cans. This prevents 
dragging of the slivers. Great care should be 
taken that the conditioning rollers of all the 
boxes are at one level, otherwise uneven mois- 
ture will result. The first boxes should be 
single head and the second boxes double head. 

For low cross breds the following sizes are 
suitable: First and second boxes, back roller, 
3 inches in diameter; front roller, 2 1/2 inches 
in diameter; pitch of screw, 1/2 inch double 
thread, 13 fallers up, 3 down, pinned over 9 
inches, 14 pins per inch, 17s wire, front pins 

1 inch and back pins 7/8 inch above faller. 
For Fine Botany: First and second boxes, 

back roller, 3 inches in diameter; front roller, 

2 inches in diameter; pitch of screw, 1/3 inch 
double thread, 20 fallers up, 11 down, pinned 
over 9 inches, pins 17 per inch, 18s wire, front 
row 7/8 inch and back row 1 inch above 



52 KINKS ON WORSTED 

taller. A good spring balance near the second 
finisher is needed for testing the weight of 
tops. 

A shed is preferable for combing and its 
attendant processes, as the sky-light falling on 
the machinery and material enables the 
worker to see the work better than with a side 
light. Adams. 



Bradford Numbers for Tops 

I wish you would state for me the connec- 
tion between the Bradford numbers, 40s, 60s, 
etc., used as quality numbers for tops and 
wool and the yarn numbers to which these 
aesignations will actually spin. A friend says 
Bradford sixties tops will produce a 60s 2-fold 
yarn. I know he is wrong. 

Andrews (1223). 

The connection is rather uncertain and re- 
mote in these days. The numbers given to 
tops are not necessarily an index of their spin- 
ning length. They are what "Andrews" calls 
them — "quality numbers." Thus there are 
plenty of so-called 60s tops which are neither 
fit nor intended to spin beyond 24s. They are 
"60s" only by virtue of the fineness and quality 
of the fiber; not because of its length. It has 
to be understood that any topmaker is at lib- 
erty to christen his blends as he likes and that 
the spinner judges not by the name, but by 
the sample. 

Standards deteriorate in time and the de- 



YARN MANUFACTURE 53 

nominations given to tops do not signify what 
they used to. The deterioration is irregular, 
some makers keeping a better standard than 
others. Nobody thinks of trying to make 48s 
out of market 60s, but this length is often 
spun from 58s or 56s tops, the quality then 
being fine crossbred. If merino quality is 
wanted, 64s or a highly super 60s must be 
used. The numbers may be misleading, but 
so would they be if based exclusively on length 
without regard to fineness. Perhaps the least 
objectionable way out is found by those top- 
makers who offer samples under their own 
marks and let customers call them what num- 
ber they please. 

"Sixties" is the most ambiguous and arti- 
ficial of names, but the case is not so very dif- 
ferent with 40s. To spin 40s yarn a 46s top is 
taken for medium coatings. The nominal 40s 
top may not spin much beyond 20s, but good 
4 0s colonial will go to 3 2s safely and good 40s 
English to 3 6s. There used to be an abund- 
ance of tops described as 3 2s, but the former 
32s now masquerade as 36s and the 3 6s by one 
of time's changes have mostly become 40s. 
These changes date from twelve or fifteen 
years ago when crossbred material was exces- 
sively high in price. 

"Names are nothing" say buyers emphati- 
cally and enough has been said to show that 
Bradford top numbers have to be interpreted 
with understanding. Every spinning mill has 



54 KINKS OX WORSTED 

its own individualities in the character of yarn 
turned out and yarns from different mills of 
one count and nominally one quality show dif- 
ferent characteristics. "The sample is the 
thing," the buyers unanimously declare and 
this is so in yarn and cloth as well as in tops. 
Knowing- the purpose in view, the topmaker 
of course submits the samples that are the 
most likely and may caution the spinner 
against using another of the same name. Sim- 
ilarly, the spinner will guard himself from 
claims by warning the manufacturer that such 
and such is not suitable for a warp-faced or 
a fllling-faced fabric. In view of the immense 
diversity of cloths made from Bradford yarn 
a perfect standardization of tops must be a 
very long way off and any system of naming 
must have its pitfalls. 

During 1907-8 an attempt to define details 
of the quality of Bradford tops was made by 
the staff of the Bradford Technical College. 
According to a table published in the quarterly 
report of that institution in April, 10 09, the 
counts of yarn to which Bradford tops will 
usually spin ere as follows: 

Quality No. Yarn Count 

Tops. Limit. 

28s 16s 

32s 24s 

36s 28s 

40s prepared 3 6s 



YARX MANUFACTURE 55 

40s carded 32s 

44s prepared 40s 

463 40s 

50s 44-46S 

56s 48s 

58s 50s 

60s warp quality 4 8- 5 0s 

64s 56s 

703 80s 

80s 100s 

DOs 150s 

Tlie table was compiled by Edford Priestley 
after experiments with a large number of 
sam]jles with the idea of offering "a means 
whereby within reasonable limits" standards 
may be defined. In other words, the figures 
give a. fair average which is not binding on 
anybody, but which is commonly attained in 
practice. Regent. 



Loss in Scouring Yarn 

What per cent, of the weight of unsecured 
>arn is lost in scouring? What is the differ- 
ence in cost between scoured yarn and the 
same yarn in the grease ? 

Woolly West (81). 

No definite answer can be given to the first 
question as the percentage varies with the 
quality of the stock and the amount of oil 
used in the manufacture of the yarn. The 
loss will vary from 5 to 20 per cent., and can 



56 KINKS ON WORSTED 

be easily tested by reeling 100 grains of the 
yarn, scouring and drying it, and then re- 
weighing to determine the loss. The differ- 
ence between the cost of scoured and un- 
secured yarn depends upon the shrinkage, and 
can be easily determined by dividing the cost 
per pound in the grease by the number of 
grains of scoured yarn obtained from 100 
grains of the grease yarn. For instance, if 
the yarn cost 6 8 cents in the grease, and the 
test showed that there was a loss of 15 grains 
(or per cent.) in scouring, the cost per pound 
clean can be found by dividing 6 8 by 85, 
which would give 80 cents, the cost per pound 
scoured. 



Help Required for and Production of the 
French and Bradford Systems 

How much help would be required to oper- 
ate the following worsted j-arn machinery on 
the Bradford and French systems respec- 
tively? Would this amount of machinery 
give an approximate production of 100 lbs. 
per hour of 2/ 4 0s yarn from a half blood 
staple top? 

FRENCH SYSTEM 

1 Screw gill bailer 

1 First drawing frame 

1 Second drawing frame 

1 Third drawing frame 

1 Reducing frame 

1 Slubbing frame 

1 Intermediate frame 

1 Roving frame 



YARN MANUFACTUBE 57 

2 Finishing- roving frames 
6 680-spindle mules. 

BRADFOKD SYSTEM 

1 Screw gill bailer 

1 Can gill box 

1 2-spindle gill box 

1 2-spindle drawing frame 

1 4 -spindle drawing frame 

1 8-spindle drawing frame 

2 8-spindle finisher frames 
4 16-spindle roving frames 

8 3 2-spindle dandy roving frames 
12 200-spindle spinning frames. 

Would we require just one-half of the num- 
ber of spindles for twisting that we do for 
spinning? 

How much more yarn would be obtained hy 
the French than by the Bradford system? 

Bradford (1094). 

In addition to overseer and helper for doing^ 
odd jobs the following help would be required 
for the French machinery: 

Operatives^ 

1st screw gill 1 

1st and 2d drawing frame 1 

3d and reducing frame 1 

Slubbing 1 

Intermediate '. 1 

Roving 1 

2 finishers 2' 



Total per set 8 



»o KINKS ON WORSTED 

Mules require: 

1 mender 

2 piecers 

1 creeler. 

"This makes a total of 4 helpers for every 1,400 
spindles. 

The following- help is required for the set of 
open drawing, Bradford system: 

1st screw gill bailer, 1 can gill box. 1 helper. 

1 2-spindle gill box, 1 2-spindle drawing 
:frame, 1 helper. 

1 4-spindle drawing frame, 1 8-spindle 
•drawing frame, 2 8-spindle finisher frames, 1 
helper to these 4 boxes. 

4 16-spindle roving frames, 1 helper. 

8 3 2-spindle dandy roving frames, 2 helpers 
4 boxes each. 

The following help is required for 12 200- 
spindle spinning frames: 

2 end lappers to follow doffers 
1 bobbin layer 

1 bobbin taker off 

2 creelers, to put rovings in 6 frames 

each, and clean carriers 
1 jobber 

1 nipper to sweep floor, etc. 

^ piecers to mind 2 sides each 

2 piecers to mind 3 sides each end of the 

room 
5 doffers. 



YAKN MANUFACTURE 59. 

The French and Bradford drawing should 
each turn out 100 pounds per hour. Of 
course, much depends on the staple, as to 
what drafting the fibers will stand. The bet- 
ter the top the heavier the turn out. 

It is not necessary to have one-half the 
number of spindles for twisting that is re- 
quired for spinning. The number of twisting 
spindles depends on the count and the num- 
ber of turns of twist. Five or at the most six 
twister frames of 140 spindles each should 
handle easily the output of 12 200-spindle 
spinning frames. This would require: 

8 helpers (twisters) 

1 bobbin layer 

1 taker off 

1 assistant overseer. 
The advantage in weight turned off would cer- 
tainly be in favor of the French system, but 
no definite figures can be given. Always re- 
member that the poorer the top, that is, the 
greater amount of short fibers, the greater will 
be the advantage of the French system. 

John Brown. 



Percentage of Cotton in Merino Yarn 

How can I determine accurately the per- 
centage of cotton or wool in merino yarn? 

Rexford (1242). 

The percentage of cotton in merino yarn is 
determined in the following manner: Weigh 



60 KINKS ON WORSTED 

a fair sized sample of the yarn, then sew it 
up in a small cheesecloth bag and boil the 
sample for 15 minutes in a 10 per cent, solu- 
tion of caustic potash. Rinse the sample well, 
then squeeze out the surplus water by wring- 
ing in a cloth. What is left of the sample 
after this treatment is cotton, which should 
be exposed to the open air until dry and then 
weighed. A comparison of the weight before 
the treatment with the weight afterwards will 
indicate the percentage of cotton in the yarn. 
Ex. A sample of merino yarn weighs 20 
grains before boiling out, and 7 grains after- 
wards. Find the percentage of cotton. 7 -r- 
20 =: 35 per cent, cotton. 



Card Clothing for Worsted Cards 

Kindly give me particulars of card clothing 
for Botany and cross bred wools. Is it better 
to have a separate coiler for each card? 

Emery (2157). 

Each card should have a separate coiler, al- 
though in some mills one coiler has to serve 
for two cards, thus effecting a slight saving in 
the first cost. It has the drawback of not 
only causing cans to be changed oftener, but 
of having more and thicker piecings in the 
backwashing operation and in causing the 
cans to wear out faster. 

The card clothing sets for Botany and cross 
bred wool is shown in the accompanying table. 



YARN MANUFACTUEE 



61 



For 64s Botany 
Name of Roller Wire 

1st lickers-in Garnett 

2d lickers-in 29 

3d lickers-in 3 

4th lickers-in 3 2 

1st divider 25 

2d divider 29 

3d divider 31 

4th divider 3 2 

1st swift 34 

1st swift workers 3 4 

1st swift strippers 31 

1st swift fancy 31 

1st dofCer 3 5 

Angle stripper 31 

2d swift 3 5 

2d swift workers 3 5 

2d swift fancy 3 3 

2d doffer 36 

For 48s Cross Bred 
Name of Roller Wire 

1st lickers-in Garnett 

2d lickers-in 24 

3d lickers-in 26 

4th lickers-in 30 

1st divider 24 

2d divider 26 

3d divider 29 

4th divider 31 



Counts 


Crown 


90 


9 


100 


10 


115 


10 


70 


6 


90 


10 


110 


10 


120 


10 


130 


12 


135 


12 


110 


10 


70 


8 


140 


12 


120 


10 


150 


13^ 


150 


i3y2 


90 


8 


155 


14 


Counts 


Crown 


60 


6 


80 


8 


100 


10 


60 


6 


80 


s 


90 


9 


110 


10 



62 KINKS ON WORSTED 

1st swift 31 

1st swift workers 3 2 

1st swift strippers 27 

1st swift fancy 29 

1st doffer 3 2 

Angle stripper 3 

2d swift 3 3 

2d swift workers 34 

2d swift fancy 31 

2d doffer 3 4 



110 


10 


115 


10 


80 


8 


60 


7 


115 


10 


110 


10 


135 


12 


130 


12 


70 


7 


130 


12 



Curtis. 



Setting of Fallers and Rollers 

Should the bottom of pins in the fallers be 
as high as the back and front rollers on fin- 
ishing gill boxes? Will wool of the same aver- 
age length stand the same draft and also what 
is the usual draft on these boxes? 

Brokaw (2153). 

The back or feeding rollers, when properly 
set, should be at least 1/4 inch higher than 
bottom of pins in faller, as should also the 
front rollers. Much bad work is caused by 
front rollers drawing downward from gills, 
and the same evil obtains if the slivers are 
dragged in an upward direction in taking the 
wool as delivered by back roller. If the roll- 
ers are too low, they can be easily adjusted by 
putting a metal packing under the brass bear- 
ings, raising rollers to required level. 

All wool of the same average length will not 



YARN MANUFACTUEE 6S 

Stand the same draft. While it is advisable to 
use about as long a draft as the wool will 
stand, great care must be taken not to over- 
draft, otherwise the sliver will be uneven. This 
is easily detected by holding up the opened 
sliver to the light, when the thin places are 
plainly seen. 

If too short a draft is used the sliver, al- 
though not as uneven, has a "pushy" appear- 
ance; the fibers do not lie well and instead of 
the clear appearance of a well drawn sliver it 
has a "muddy" look. 

Apart from the draft between front and 
back rollers, the draft betw^een back roller and 
faller has to be considered. The fallers should 
have just enough lead to secure the slivers 
being well laid into them, traveling say about 
1 1/10 inches while back roller delivers 1 inch. 
There is no arbitrary rule for the draft, as 
loose, fluffy sorts require rather more draft on 
faller than the longer and straighter qualities. 

McAllister. 



Mill for Drawing and Spinning 

Is a one-story shed preferable to a mill of 
several stories for drawing and spinning wor- 
sted yarns? What is the production of 4,000 
spindles on the Bradford system on 2/ 28s knit- 
ting yarn and how many twisting spindles 
would be required? What would be the pro- 
duction on 60s filling yarns? 

Sewell (2183). 



64 KINKS ON WORSTED 

For carrying on these processes a mill of 
several stories is preferable to a shed; first, 
because the rays of the sun do not beat upon 
the glass overhead and there is likely to be 
less variation in the temperature; second, the 
light comes from the side and enables the 
operative to see the fine threads as they pass 
from roller to bobbin better than would be 
the case with a sky-light. 

A plant of 4,000 spindles will turn off 12,000 
pounds per week of 2/28 knitting yarn and 
requires from 1,600 to 2,000 spindles to double 
them. Four thousand spindles will turn off 
about 5,000 pounds of single 60s weft for 
weaving purposes. Bradford. 



Calculating Gill Box Drafts 

I would like to have you explain the 
method of calculating the draft of a worsted 
gill box. I find many explanations of this 
subject in the various books on worsted draw- 
ing and spinning, but none that is clear to 
me. As a consequence I adjust the draft by 
trying different gears until the drawing is the 
right weight. I believe better results could 
be obtained if I knew how to calculate the 
iirafts between back rollers and gills, and 
between gills and front rollers. 

Worsted Comber (759). 

The draft of a drawing or spinning frame is 
found by dividing the speed of the delivery 
rollers by the speed of the back or feed roll- 
ers. Thus if the front rollers deliver 10 yards 



YARN MANUFACTURE 65 

^'hile the back rolls are taking- in 2 yards the 
draft is 10 -^ 2 = 5. The calculation of the 
draft of a drawing or spinning frame consists 
in calculating the delivery and take-up speeds, 
and then dividing the former by the latter. 
These operations are simple, but are very im- 
perfectly understood because writers on this 
subject have almost invariably contented them- 
selves with giving reduced formulas of "driv- 
ing" and "driven gears," omitting a clear ex- 
planation of the "reason why." As good a 
writer as McLaren states that "there are very 
few overlookers who know how to take gill- 
box drafts, as they find guess work more 
simple," and then gives a method of calcula- 
tion based on a reduced formula that fails 
completely to explain the reason for the 
operations. 

The underlying principle of draft calcula- 
tions is simple, being a division of the delivery 
speed by the speed of the back or feed roll- 
ers. The calculations appear complicated be- 
cause of the necessity of calculating these 
speeds from the sizes of several pairs of gears, 
the circumference of front and back rollers, 
and, in the case of gill-boxes, the speed of the 
gills. 

For illustrating the calculation of gill-box 
draft we will take a can gill box geared as 
follows: 

Front roller: 2 inches in diameter. 30 gear 
on back shaft driving a 50 gear on roller. 



66 KIXKS ox WORSTED 

Back roller: 3 inches in diameter. 22 gear 
on back shaft into 72 gear; 18 gear into 88 
gear on roller. 

Fallers: Double thread screw, 3/8 inch pitch, 
is equal to 3/4 inch traverse per revolution of 
screw or back shaft. 

Speed of front roller: (2 in. X 3.1416 X 30) 
-^ 50 = 3.77 inches per revolution back shaft. 

Speed of back roller: (3 in. X 3.1416 X 22 
X 18) ^ (72 X 88) = .59 inch per revolution 
back shaft. 

Having found the speeds of front roller, 
back roller and fallers, the draft is calculated 
as follows: 

Total draft: 3.77 in. (front) -^ .59 in. (back) 
:= 6.4, draft of machine. 

Front draft: 3.77 in. (front) -^ .75 in. (fall- 
ers) = 5, front draft. 

Back draft: .75 in. (fallers) ^ .59 in. (back) 
= 1.27, back draft. 

The total draft is equal to the product of 
the front and back drafts: 

1.27 (back draft) X 5 (front draft) = 6.35, 
total draft. 

This method of calculating drafts is differ- 
ent from those given by most writers on the 
subject, but has the merit of being easily un- 
derstood and, consequently, easily remem- 
bered. 

When calculating the draft between two 
sets of rollers, the calculation of the circum- 
ference of the rollers, by multiplying 3.1416 



YAKN MAXUFACTLEE bi 

can be omitted and the diameter used as the 
circumference. The circumference must be 
used when making calculations of draft be- 
tween rollers and fallers, because the surface 
speed of the rollers must be compared with 
the speed of the fallers. 

I have read with much interest your answer 
to this question in your November issue and 
wish to say that I think your method of figur- 
ing is very simple and easily understood, and 
no doubt is theoreticallj' correct. It would 
also be found correct in everyday practice if 
the rolls were smooth and we could do with- 
out the aprons, but as we must have fluted rolls 
and aprons, we have a condition that affects 
the draft a great deal more than most over- 
lookers are aware. It is quite common to find 
the draft of a two-spindle gill box much 
shorter on one side than the other. This fault 
can be overcome a great deal if aprons of the 
same thickness are used. Some years ago I 
discovered that if I had my aprons in pairs I 
would get the drafts more even from the 
double can and the two-spindle gill boxes. 
However, I have never found any pair of 
aprons, even though they had been cut from 
the same hide, that would deliver absolutely 
the same draft, and for this reason I am a 
great believer in the use of the yardstick for 
ascertaining drafts. 



68 KI]NKS OX WORSTED 

This method is as follows: First, tie a piece 
of cord on the slubbing close to the twizzel of 
the flyer; second, measure one yard of the 
sliver behind the back guide (which is just 
outside of the back rolls); third, hold the 
finger and thumb on the sliver (36 inches from 
the guide); fourth, start the box and avoid 
putting any drag on the sliver. When the 
sliver has run into the back rolls one yard 
(finger and thumb up to the guide), stop the 
box and measure the number of yards and 
fraction of yards delivered. This will give the 
actual draft. For example, one yard in the 
back rollers and 6 1/4 yards between the cord 
and twizzel would mean 6 1/4 draft. 

Thomas Hill. 



Price of Top per Pack 

I notice the price of worsted top quoted at 
F>radford as so many pounds and shillings per 
"pack." What is the meaning of this expres- 
sion? Packer (715). 

A Bradford pack of top is 240 pounds. 
There are 240 pence in a pound sterling. Con- 
sequently the price of top in pence per pound 
corresponds with the price per pack in pounds 
sterling. If a pack costs £19, a pound costs 
19 pence. Our English correspondent to 
whom this question was referred writes us as 
follows: "Bradford tops are bought and sold 
by the pack of 240 pounds, and you will 



YAHN MAJN'UFACTUKE 69 

readily see how easy it is to reckon the cost in 
money of 1,000 packs, and the profit or loss 
on a deal, without a decimal currency." 



I 



Plans for a Combing Mill 

We contemplate building a combing mill to 
supply our 4,000-spindle Bradford spinning 
plant. Can you give us a plan for this mill ? 

Hayes (2174). 

No fixed rule for planning such a mill can 
be laid down and we will deal only with aver- 
ages. Fine or thick counts, low, medium or 
fine wools, all make some difference both in 
the number of machines required and the 
amount of work turned out. 

In laying out a combing shed it has been 
found economical to divide it into squares of 
400 feet, 20 feet from pillar to pillar. This 
enables the machinery to be set to the best 
advantage and leaves room for the operatives 
to work and for the material to be moved from 
one process to another, with ample space for 
storage. The pillars also are at the right 
places for driving shafts without having to use 
unusually long lengths of belting. The ar- 
rangement also obviates a lot of counter shaft- 
ing which would be required if the distance 
from pillar to pillar were either longer or 
shorter. 

The wool enters the shed at J, Fig. 1, and 
passes through the process without turning 



70 



KI.XKS 0>' WORSTED 



back. It enters the washing machine, A, 
then passes to the dryer, B, then to carding 



ET 



ED EH El 



flAT ® 



IE El E) 

000000 



[TI (21 ED 



EB ^ ^ 



d 



Fig. I 



machines, C, alongside of which are bins, D, 
for storing wool. On the right-hand side of 



YAEN MANUFACTURE il 

the cards are the grinding frames, E. These 
are partitioned off, thus preventing emery 
dust from flying about in the shed. After 
leaving the cards the sliver goes direct to the 
backwashers, P. Room for storing sliver cans 
is provided. From the backwashers the wool 
goes to the first and second gill boxes, G^ and 
G". At the end of the row is the punch box, 
H. The sliv^er next passes to the combs, H, 
and then forward to first and second finish- 
ers, I and I^ 

The testing pan and scales are at K. These 
should always be near the combs and finishers 
so that both condition and weight of slivers 
and tear of combs can be readily ascertained. 
Li is the comb maker's shop and storage for 
circles. Ample space is left for packing pur- 
poses, also for bench and tools required for 
small repairs. MM, lavatories for work peo- 
ple; N, raised cistern for condensed water 
from backwashers and combs. 

The machinery consists of 1 washer, 1 drier, 
12 cards, 2 backwashers, 3 first and 3 second 
preparing gills, 1 punch box, 8 Noble combs, 4 
first and 4 second finishers. 

John Brown. 



Amount of Draft in Spinning 

How is the draft used in spinning worsted 
determined? I would like if possible to have 
>ou give me a rule for this. Butler (2175). 



72 KI]\"KS ON WOKSTED 

The following explanation from The Wool 
Year Book for 1910 answers this question: 

The draft used in spinning is determined by 
the count required to be spun and its rela- 
tionship to the roving employed. If, however, 
a regular yarn is the prime consideration it is 
necessary that the roving should be of such a 
weight as to require only a small draft in spin- 
ning. The practice of spinning yarns of 
widely varying counts from rovings of one 
standard weight, though it has the advantage 
of convenience, is to be condemned. If car- 
ried out in the best way, it means that in the 
drawing, the rovings are made finer than is 
necessary for the low counts, and this is bad, 
for the material is unnecessarily drafted in 
the drawing; while for fine counts the rovings 
are not fine enough, and irregularities are pro- 
duced through excessive drafting in the spin- 
ning. Though with good quality rovings long 
drafts are sometimes found to give fairly sat- 
isfactory results, it may be taken as an axiom 
that the draft in spinning must not exceed the 
fiber length of the roving. 

In working out the calculations involved in 
drafting in the spinning process, the various 
considerations are illustrated in the following 
examples. For convenience both in calcu- 
lating and in handling the material, 40 yards 
is taken as a basis. The w^eight of 40 yards 
of Is counts is 18.3 drams, and, all other 



YARN MANUFACTURE 73 

counts being in direct proportion to this, this 
number is taken as a constant. 

Rule. To obtain from given weight of rov- 
ing the draft to produce required yarn, multi- 
ply count and weight of roving and divide by 
constant. 

Example. What draft will be required on a 
3.6 dram roving (per 40 yards) to spin 40» 
count? 

(40 X 3.6) -^ 18.3 = 8 draft. 

Rule. To find weight of roving necessary 
for required count of yarn with given draft,. 
multiply constant by draft and divide by 
count. 

Example. Find weight of roving to give 40s 
count with an 8 draft. 

(18.3 X 8) ^ 40 = 3.6 dram, weight of rov- 
ing. 



Average Count of Yarn 

Please state the correct method of calculat- 
ing the average yarn number in a mill with, 
spindles and production as follows: 

2,000 spindles 40,000 lbs. No. 10 yarn 
8,500 spindles 60,000 lbs. No. 30 yarn 
4,000 spindles 20,000 lbs. No. 40 yarn 



120,000 lbs. 

Durchschitt (186). 

For all systems of yarn numbering based 
upon the number of hanks per pound, such as 
cotton, worsted and woolen runs systems, the 



/4 KINKS ON WORSTED 

average number of yarn of different sizes is 
the average number of hanl^s per pound. 

We will take the example cited by our cor- 
respondent for illustration. A mill has in a 
certain time produced 120,000 lbs. of yarn as 
follows: 

lbs. hanks. 

40,000 No. 10 yarn 400,000 

€0,000 No. 30 yarn 1,800,000 

20,000 No. 40 yarn 800,000 



120,000 3,000,000 

We And that there are 3,000,000 hanks in 
120,000 lbs., or an average of 25 hanks per 
pound, which is the average count of the 
yarn. 

The number of spindles in a mill is not a 
factor in the calculation; the pounds and 
counts of the different sizes of yarn are the 
■only factors to be taken into consideration. 



Scaife Lifter Motion 

What are the advantages of the Scaife lifter 
motion and how are calculations made for 
spool building? Ranney (2172). 

The Scaife motion is generally used for 
building up either double head, spool bobbins, 
or tubes on all frames, whether cap, fly or 
Ting. It contains three distinct motions, each 



YAKX MAXUFACTIKE 75 

simple in itself, which when combined seem 
rather complicated. 

With the simple heart motion, also with the 
miangle-wheel, still used in some drawing 
boxes, it is possible to produce a bobbin with 
an equal thickness of weft over all its parts. 
By putting on an eccentric in place of the 
heart, spools which have the bulk of the weft 
in the center and tapering at both ends are 
produced. 

The great advantage possessed by the 
Scaife is that not only will it build a spool of 
any shape required, but by throwing the slide 
motion out of gear ordinary double head bob- 
bins of any traverse can be made. Spools can 
be made by simply exchanging the eccentric 
for a heart. Spare hearts and eccentrics are 
supplied stamped with the length of the trav- 
erse. Hearts are used not only in this but in 
other motions, such as traverse motions for 
comb leathers, for the reason that there is no 
dwell or dead part as is the case with cams 
and eccentrics. In tube building the advan- 
tage of the dwell is apparent, because at both 
long and short ends of its travel the motion 
is quicker, thus giving the pointed ends re- 
quired in tubes. 

The following calculations, supplied by Prof. 
Barker and E. Priestly, will no doubt be of 
great service to all who use Scaife motions: 

For spool building. The amount of ma- 
terial taken up by the bobbin head with the 



76 KINKS ON WOESTED 

size of heart and pitch of scroll as employed 
must be found; also the speed of the heart in 
relation to the scroll or rack and the front 
rollers, necessary to build up the material in 
layers on the bobbin. The speed required to 
suit the front roller delivery can then be 
readily obtained by alteration of the change 
wheels of the motion. The gauge point is ob- 
tained as follows: The yarn capacity of a 
spool bobbin 5 inches by 3/4 inch with 1 1/4- 
inch head is about 239 grains. Divide 239 
by 12.5 (grains per yard of Is yarn). This 
result, 19.13, is the length of Is yarn the spool 
will hold. 

Then: 

1st. Taking pitch of scroll and size of heart, 
find number of revolutions the scroll must 
make to fill bobbin. 

2d. Multiply gauge point by counts being 
spun to find number of yards the bobbin will 
hold of count in question, and divide this 
equivalent by the revolutions scroll must 
make, the result being the number of yards 
required to form the head. 

3d. Find diameter of the yarn by taking 
the square root of the yards per pound and 
divide this by the amount of filling space. 
Result: number of layers or speed of heart. 

The relationship is now found between the 
speed of scroll, delivery of rollers, and speed 
of heart, but as the front roller speed is fixed 
by the twist required, the necessary changing 



YAEN MANUFACTUEE 77 

must be made at the heart and scroll. For 
example : 

Spool 5 inches by 3/4 inch; 1 1/4-inch 
head; front roller, 12 1/2 inches in circum- 
ference; scroll, 1/2-inch pitch; heart, 1 1/4- 
inch traverse; yarn, single 40s. 

(1) Revolution of scroll to fill 4 3/4 or 5- 
inch bobbin = 7. 

(2) 19.13 X 40 (counts) -^ 7 (scroll) = 
109.3 yards taken up by bobbin head or by 1 
revolution of scroll. Then 109.3 X 36 (inches 
per yard) -^ 12 1/2-inch front roller = 314.7, 
revolutions of front roll to 1 of scroll. 

(3) The square root of 40 X 560 is 150, the 
diameter of l/40s count. Thirty-eight layers 
of yarn or movements of the heart are re- 
quired for every quarter inch. 

When changing from one count to another 
the changing is done at the heart shaft, thus 
affecting the whole motion. The varying fac- 
tors are weight and twist. For example: 

(Old No. X New Twist Wheel X Old Change 
Wheel) -f- (New No. X Old Twist Wheel) = 
New Change Wheel. 

The motion seems complicated, but by a 
little careful attention the various details can 
be mastered and the full capabilities of the 
motion made use of. Dobson. 



Moisture in Worsted Yarn 

We are manufacturing worsted goods for 
men's wear and buying yarn in Bradford by 



78 KIXKS dx WORSTED 

"conditioned" weight, that is, allowing 18 1/4 
per cent, for regain on "absolutely dry" 
weight. We have made a number of tests to 
determine the accuracy of the Bradford con- 
ditioned weight and find a wid^ difference 
between the Bradford figures and our own. 
When we have the yarn "absolutely dry," the 
weight is the same as the "absolutely dry" 
weight at Bradford, but when our test sam- 
ples are exposed to the air they regain only 
7 to 10 per cent., occasionally 12 per cent., 
leaving us short by 6 to 10 per cent. The 
weights of the different bales vary but slightly, 
but this may be due to the fact that they are 
tightly compressed and that the hold of the 
vessel in which they are stored is fairly dry. 
It seems to me that the Bradford standard of 
18 1/4 per cent, gives an unfair advantage to 
the Bradford merchant, and that the Ameri- 
can purchaser of Bradford worsted yarn Is 
paying for something that is not delivered. 
11 the price were based on "bone dry" weight 
it would be different. I would like to know 
whether I am right in this view of the case? 
Lachine Rapids (760). 

Our correspondent is wrong. The failure of 
his conditioned yarn to regain the 18 1/4 per 
cent, is due to the fact that drying wool at the 
high temperature used for conditioning par- 
tialis'' destroys its power to absorb moisture. 
If, as he suspects, the Bradford yarn contained 
more moisture than is "natural" in Canada, 
the yarn would lose weight when opened up 
and exposed to the Canadian air, the counts 
becoming finer; but, as we understand his in- 
quiry, this is not the case, his complaint being 



YARN MANUFACTURE 79 

based on the failure of the small lots tested 
for condition to regain the 18 1/4 per cent. 

This amount, 18 1/4 per cent., was first 
adopted and legalized on the Continent as a 
standard regain for worsted, probably because 
it was supposed to represent the average re- 
gain under ordinary atmospheric conditions- 
This standard has been generally adopted by 
the English trade, although we believe it has 
not yet been established in England by statute 
law. Prolonged tests to determine the "aver- 
age natural condition" of worsted yarn at 
Lawrence, Mass., have been made by Wm. D. 
Hartshorne at the Arlington Mills in that city. 
The results of his experiments were given in 
a pap.er read at the Atlantic City meeting of 
the New England Cotton Manufacturers' As- 
sociation, from which the following extract is 
taken: 

"A skein of worsted yarn was prepared 
whose absolutely dry weight was carefully de- 
termined by weighing and testing other skeins 
of the same material under exactly similar 
conditions. This skein was then hung up in 
an open shed, protected from the sun and rain, 
but with good ventilation, so that it could be 
considered as fairly representing the outdoor 
conditions. Its weight was then carefully 
taken and recorded ten times a day, at ap- 
proximately equal intervals for every day in 
the year except Sundays and holidays, for a 
period of one year from May 1, 1895. A 



80 KIXKS ON WORSTED 

record was also kept of the temperature and 
relative humidity, as obtained from the read- 
ings of a set of wet and dry bulb thermome- 
ters, located within a few feet of this skein of 
yarn, and taken at the time of each weighing, 
except for a short time in the winter, when 
the humidity observations were omitted owing 
to the difficulty of obtaining them accurately 
at low temperatures. The variations in the 
weight of this skein were remarkable, ranging 
from a little over 7 per cent, to as high as 3 5 
per cent, on the original dry weight. There 
were occasional variations of 15 or even 19 
per cent, in 24 hours." 

The average of Mr. Hartshorne's observa- 
tions for the year were summarized by him as 
follows: 

May, 1895 14.86 % 

June, 1895 16.87 

July, 1895 18.05 

August, 1895 17.31 

September, 1895 17.29 

October, 1895 16.76 

November, 1895 22.02 

December, 1895 19.28 

January, 189 6 17.40 

February, 1896 17.21 

March, 1896 17.21 

April, 1896 14.15 

17.45 for year as averaged by^'the month. 



YARN MANUFACTURE 81 

This Lawrence average regain of 17.45 per 
•cent, for the year is very close to the Euro- 
pean standard, the difference being but 7/10 
per cent. If Mr. Hartshorne had made the 
tests in Europe instead of in America the re- 
sulting average of 17.45 per cent, would have 
rightfully been taken as indicating the 18 1/4 
per cent, standard to be a very close approxi- 
mation to the "natural standard." 

While "Lachine Rapids" is wrong in his de- 
duction from the failure of his test lots to re- 
gain the 18 1/4 per cent., his inquiry suggests 
a very important line of investigation to de- 
termine the natural condition of moisture in 
worsted yarn in different parts of America. It 
is very desirable that the same standards of 
regain for textile materials be adopted in all 
countries, and if there is no good reason for 
the adoption of different standards, then those 
already established in Europe should be ac- 
-cepted in America. As far as the price is con- 
cerned it makes no difference to either buyer 
or seller what the standard of regain is as long 
as it is generally accepted throughout the 
trade and prices are made by every one to 
xjonform to it. The use of two standards for 
the same material would, however, be confus- 
ing and open the door to never-ending vexa- 
tion and fraud. 

We hope Lachine Rapids will make a series 
of tests along the lines followed by Mr. Harts- 
horne at Lawrence, in order to determine the 



82 KIXKS ON WORSTED 

average natural condition of . worsted yarn in. 
Canada. We believe the results of such tests 
would indicate, as did the tests made at Law- 
rence, that the difference between European 
and American atmospheric conditions does not 
warrant Americans in changing the estab- 
lished standards of regain, which are as fol- 
lows for the various textile materials: 

per cent. 

Worsted yarn 18i/4 

Woolen yarn 17 

Scoured wool 16 

Noils 14 

Shoddy yarn 13 

Jute 13% 

Flax and hemp 12 

Silk 11 

Cotton SVa 

The practice of selling textile material by 
conditioned weight, which generally prevails in 
Europe, has not been adopted to the same ex- 
tent in the United States. Here it is confined 
mainly to raw silk, all of which is imported 
and most of which is bought abroad by con- 
ditioned weight. The New York Silk Condi- 
tioning W^orks, New York City, were estab- 
lished in 1880 and are equipped with facilities 
for handling all kinds of textile materials. We 
submitted to this establishment the question 
asked by Lachine Rapids, and asked what 



YARN MANUFACTURE 83 

Standards they had adopted, receiving the fol- 
lowing reply: 

"In reply to your favor of October 10 we 
beg to state that in our experience fiber that 
has been thoroughly dried out will not regain 
as readily as before this process, and unless 
the fiber is stored in a damp place it will not 
contain the legal or commercial percentage of 
moisture allowed. The standards used in this 
country are the same as those adopted in Eu- 
rope. Yours truly, 

"New York Silk Conditioning Works." 

As the European standards have thus been 
adopted by the New York Silk Conditioning 
Works and are established in Canada, it is 
very desirable to keep them unchanged unless 
a change is made at the same time in all 
other parts of the world. 



Moisture in Worsted Yarn 

I note what you say in your November issue 
on this subject and yet feel that more can be 
Raid. Take a shipment we have just received 
of worsted yarn. It went to the Bradford con- 
ditioning house as 12,226 pounds. The weight 
given by the conditioning house was 12,533 1/2 
pounds and it weighed on our scales 12,260 
pounds in the original bales. Now here is a 
loss to us of 273 1/2 pounds in yarn (or some- 
thing else), and a gain to the maker of the 
yarn of $141.45 for goods he did not deliver. 

It appears to me that though a method may 
have been in use for some years and even be 
accepted generally, that is no reason why an 



84 KINKS OX WORSTED 

improvement may not be introduced. As ex- 
ample, take the "London Clause" on goods 
entering London by boat. I never heard a 
satisfactory reason for it and I now believe it 
is cut out. Why cannot worsted yarn be sold 
at a "bone-dry" price? If it is bone-dry <n 
Bradford it wull be the same weight as bone- 
dry in Canada or Mexico. Another reason 
which comes into consideration, bone-dry will 
te a clean yarn, and so the buyer is not pay- 
ing for any too much oil or dirt. Again, we 
have some yarns of an open nature that ab- 
sorb a much greater percentage of moisture 
than another yarn of an equal weight when 
dry. That is especially true of lofty yarns. 

Where does the agent come in? We have 
seen yarns stored in cellars in this country 
weigh more than the conditioning papers 
allowed and in comparison with yarns made 
on this side — count, stock, and fabrication 
being equal — were dearer at 41 cents than 
domestic at 46 cents a pound. Does anything 
suggest itself from these points? 

Lachine Rapids (776). 

"Lachine Rapids" is mistaken. He asks: 
"Why cannot worsted yarn be sold at a 'bone- 
dry' price?" It is in fact sold on a bone-dry 
l>asis when sold by conditioned weight. Con- 
ditioned weight of worsted yarn is bone-dry 
w^eight plus 18 1/4 per cent. The worsted 
yarn trade of Europe is based on this standard 
and prices have become adjusted to it under 
the law of supply and demand. Let us take 
the shipment just received by "Lachine 
Rapids" and assume for illustration the pur- 
chase price to have been 60 cents a pound, 



YARN MA^UFALTUllE 5U 

conditioned weight. The conditioned weight is 
12,533 1/2 pounds, which represents a bone- 
dry weight of 100 per cent, plus 18 1/4 per 
cent.; or a bone-dry weight of 10,600 pounds 
plus 1,933 1/2 pounds. The market price by 
conditioned weight being 60 cents a pound 
conditioned weight, the entire shipment cost 
$7,520.10. This is equal to 70.94 cents a 
pound, bone-dry weight. That is the bone-dry 
price for the lot established by supply and de- 
mand, and is the same as 60 cents a pound, 
conditioned weight, based on a regain of 
18 1/4 per cent. 

This shipment weighed 12,226 pounds in 
Bradford. The bone-dry weight was, how- 
ever, 10,600 pounds; consequently the actual 
regain on Bradford was 15 3/10 per cent., the 
lot containing 10,600 pounds of bone-dry yarn 
and 1,626 pounds of water. But worsted 
prices are not based on a regain of 15 3/10 
per cent. If they had been, supply and de- 
mand would have adjusted the price per 
pound so as to make the total value of the 
shipment $7,520.10, the same as it is now. The 
price per pound, Bradford weight, would then 
have been 61.59 cents, making the 12,226 
pounds aniount to $7,520.10. 

So with the Canadian weight of 12,260 
pounds. The bone-dry weight in Canada is 
10,600 pounds, the same as in Bradford. The 
actual moisture in Canada was, however, 
slightly greater, the bone-dry weight being 



86 KI^'KS ON WOESTED 

10,600 pounds, the actual moisture 1,660 
pounds, an actual regain of 15 7/10 per cent. 
The total value of the shipment, based on first 
cost, remained the same, $7,520.10, equal to 
70.94 cents a pound, bone-dry, or 61.34 cents 
a pound, Canadian weight. 

If "Lachine Rapids" should insist on buying 
directly by bone-dry weight his compatriots in 
Bradford could easily accommodate him by 
charging 70.94 cents a pound bone-dry, where 
they now charge 60 cents, conditioned. Or if 
he should insist on buying by actual Bradford 
weight they could easily accommodate him by 
charging 61.59 cents a pound, Bradford weight. 
In the former case "Lachine Rapids" would 
get 1,626 pounds more in Canada than he paid 
for; in the latter case, 8 4 pounds more than 
he paid for. In either case he would have to 
reduce his bank account by exactly the same 
amount, $7,5 20.10, in order to cover the first 
cost, as he has now when he is receiving 
273 1/2 pounds less than he has paid for by 
the pound. 

No one standard of regain would agree with 
the varying degrees of regain at different 
times and in different places. The worsted 
trade has adopted 18 1/4 per cent' for wor- 
sted yarn and prices have been adjusted to it 
by supply and demand. It would not improve 
anything to change it as prices would then go 
up or down to conform to the change. Then 
whv not leave it alone and avoid the endless 



YARN MANUFACTURE 87 

confusion and fraud that would result from 
trying to change it? 

We wonder if we have convinced 'Lachine 
Rapids." If not, then we suggest this idea to 
him: When he buys worsted yarn by condi- 
tioned weight he is paying" for 13.53 ounces, 
bone-dry, the price that is charged to him for 
what is called a pound, conditioned weight; 
13.53 ounces is 100 per cent.; 2.47 ounces is 
18 1/4 per cent.; 16 ounces is 1.18 1/4 per 
cent.; 13.53 ounces is a bone-dry pound of 
conditioned worsted. 

While the particular standard adopted for 
conditioning makes no difference to the buyer 
and seller as long as it is agreed upon, yet it 
is very desirable that the variation in the 
actual regain in the different parts of America 
should be determined. With a view of get- 
ting this done we have suggested to the Na- 
tional Bureau of Standards at Washington 
that they take up this work. We have re- 
ceived a favorable response from the director 
who states that the matter is receiving his at- 
tention and that the work will be taken up at 
the earliest opportunity. We would suggest 
to "Lachine Rapids" that he use his influence 
to get the Canadian authorities to engage in 
the same work in order that as wide a terri- 
tory as possible be covered by the ofRcial 
American tests. 



88 KIXKS ON WORSTED 

Meaning of Merino 

What is the original meaning of the word 
"Merino"' and liow many meanings has it at 
present? Enquirer. 

Merino is originally a Spanish word and is 
the title of the overseers of cattle pastures 
and of certain judicial officers. According to 
the highest Spanish authority, merino sheep 
are a breed of sheep which are pastured in 
the winter in Estremadura and in summer in 
the mountains. This explanation by the Span- 
ish Academy discountenances the idea that 
merino was in some way related to "marina" 
the sea. Estremadura is not even a seaward 
province of Spain, but a south-central one on 
the Portuguese frontier. Some of these sheep 
were imported into England by George 111. in 
1786 and were used by leading breeders, and 
animals of the same strain were exported to 
the colonies. A historian of the worsted trade 
has supposed these sheep from Spain to be 
the improved pedigree of certain sheep sent 
from. England in the time of Edward III. 
There are no conclusive proofs that the breed 
was directly developed from the type of sheep 
found in England before the Norman invasion. 

The connection between "merino" applied to 
sheep and "merino" applied to wool is clear, 
but men in the textile business do not call 
merino wool by that name. Merino is admit- 
tedly the proper name, but the worsted trade 



YARN MANUFACTLEE S9 

prefers to call it "botany"; which name is 
derived from Botany Bay, New South Wales, 
formerly a convict settlement. In the York- 
shire woolen trade, one hears more often of 
"Port Philip"' wool or "Cape" wool than of 
merino. The Scotch woolen trade calls merino 
"Saxony" and classiflies the coarser wools as 
"Cheviots." About the same time that Span- 
ish sheep were brought to England some were 
sent to Saxony, were well-handled there and 
became a source of supply to British manufac- 
turers. In all three instances the tendency to 
call wools by the names of the points they 
came from, rather than by the family name, is 
apparent. 

Merino is a standard name in the rag trade 
and a request for samples of merino wastes 
brings san)ples of pulled gentlemen's suitings 
and of marino quality. One of the chief con- 
cerns in the Dews bury district bears the name 
Extract Wool & Meriru' Company; .extract 
woo-, is of course carbonized fiber, free from, 
cotton. 

Merino in the knit goods business has a 
different signification. An unwritten law bids 
the Englishman: "If you find a good name„ 
take it." That law explains why merino 
hosierj' means goods composed of wool and 
cotton; also why "lamb's wool" hosiery very 
often jneans low-grade shoddy woolen and 
why "llama" and "cashmere" knit goods have 



90 KINKS ON WORSTED 

usually no connection whatever with goats 
hair. 

Merino is also the name of a weave. 
Merino, or French merino, means to the dress 
goods man an all-wool fabric, single warp and 
single weft, tAvilled both on the back and face 
and differing only from cashmere in that the 
latter has a twill face and a plain back. 
Samples of what are sold as merino dress 
goods at the present day are sent herewith. 

The meaning of "merino" in this connec- 
tion has turned a complete somersault within 
the last century. James in his "History of 
the Worsted Trade" shows that prior to 1826 
a worsted cloth known as "plainback," made 
from relatively heavy yarn, had been origin- 
ated by James Aykroyd & Sons, Brook House, 
Ovenden, Halifax, and had been made in large 
quantities by several manufacturers. In that 
year Todd, Morrison & Co., London (now the 
Fore Street Warehouse Co.) communicated to 
Mann, a Bradford merchant, their idea that a 
"plainback" made with the finest merino yarn 
would sell well. Mann employed the Garnetts 
of Bradford to carry out the work and they 
made a fabric twilled on the face and plain on 
the back, using 40s-&2s filling and 32s-38s 
warp in 27-inch width, selling at prices be- 
tween 75 and 80 shillings ($18 to $19.20) a 
piece (probably of 28 yards). Six-quarter 
goods were introduced in the following year 



YARN MANUFACTURE 91 

and these improved plainbacks became known 
far and wide as "merinos." The inversion of 
the meaning of what was clearly a well-defined 
term may presumptively be attributed to con- 
tact with French 'practice. French merino 
dress goods are the only ones now met with in 
the market and the samples sent are evidence 
that they are not all made of merino wool. 

James Strand. 



French and Bradford System of Yarn 
Spinning" 

Would it be profitable for a manufacturer of 
French spun yarn to comb it on a Noble 
comb? Would it be profitable for a manufac- 
turer of Bradford spun yarn to equip his 
drawing room with the French system, pro- 
viding the material is fit for it? 

Dayton (1283). 

Bearing in mind the last sentence, the 
answer to the first part of the question is yes. 
Some of the largest and best equipped firms 
who make mule spun yarns use both Nobles, 
square motion and the rectilinear comb, or 
some modification of the Heilmann comb. 
Presuming that "Dayton" makes dry spun 
yarn, that is without oil in combing, he will 
get good results from ordinary well grown 
Botany wool, say 5 6s and upwards, by using 
the Noble comb. The one advantage is that 
it makes no backings and when the stock has 



92 KI>-KS ON WOKSTED 

passed through the comb, the result is top 
and noil only. The drawback is that in the 
slivers from large and small circles, owing to 
the -wsLY the slivers from the punch box are 
fed on the comb, have the fibers lying in op- 
posite directions. This does not make much 
difference except in very fine counts. 

Owing to the absence of twist in French 
drawing very short stock could not be worked 
on cap or fly frames. But with fairly shafty 
sorts it can be and is done to some extent 
Instead of the ordinary pin rail for holding 
the rovings, a creel is substituted, the bottom 
rail of which has small countersunk holes for 
the pointed spindle to rest in, while the top 
rail has slight notches for the top part of 
spindle to rest against and to keep it from 
slipping out of position, with as little friction 
as possible. 

Another way is to use the ordinary spindle 
rail in a loose washer running on ball bear- 
ings at the foot of each spindle. For very 
short and tender wools it is preferable after 
French drawing to spin on mules. J. B. 



I Isl DKX 

PAGE 

Adding- Moisture in Finishing 24 

Amount of Draft in Spinning 71 

Average Count of Yarn 73 

Arrangement of Finishing Gill Boxes 51 

Backwashing 27 

Basis of Twist Calculations 23 

Botany, Meaning of 89 

Bradford Numbers for Tops 52 

Bradford System, Help Required 58 

Calculating Gill Box Drafts 64 

Calculating from Top to Yarn 19 

Calculations for Lifter Motions 75 

Card Clothing for Worsted Cards : 60 

Classing Wool 18 

Clothii:g and Speed of Rolls for Carding 44, 45 

Combing Mill, Plan of 70 

Combing, Oil in 36 

Cost of Manufacturing Worsted Yarn 25 

Cylinders of Backwashing Machines 33 

Diagram of Fibres 13,15 

Draft on Gill Boxes 63 

Draft of Noble Comb 40 

Draft, Regulating 14 

Draft in Spinning 71 

Draft of Worsted 10, 20, 21 

Drafting, Object of 12 

Drawing Machinery, Standardizing 9 

Fallers iS- 

Fallers, Setting 62 

Finishing, Gill Boxes 51 

Finishing, Moisture in 24 

Finishing Worsted Tops 46 

French and Bradford System 91 

French System, Help Required 57 

Gill Box Drafts 63, 64 

Grading Worsted Wool 17 

Hartshorne Tests of Moisture in Worsted Yarns 80 
Help Required for and Production of the French 

and Bradford Systems 56 

Hints on Backwashing 27 

Labor Cost of Manufacturing 25 



JUN 12 \9\k 

94 INDEX 

PAOB 

Lifter Motion 7-i 

Liquor for Backwashing 2S 

Loss in Scouring Yarn 55 

Macliinery for Worsted Yarn Alill 45 

Merino, Meaning of 88 

Merino Yarn, Cotton in 5& 

Method of Getting Exact Draft 17 

Mill for Drawing and Spinning 63 

Moisture in Finishing 48 

Moisture in Worsted Yarn 77, 83 

Neps in Carding 42 

Noble Comb on Frencli Spun Yarns 91 

Object of Drafting 12 

Oil in Combing '. 36 

"Pack." Meaning of 68 

Percentage of Cotton in Merino Yarn 59 

Plan for Combing Mill 69 

Price of Top per Pack 63 

Processes and Ends Up in Drawing 16 

Production ©f French and Bradford Systems ... 56 

Production of Plant 64 

Production of Worsted Cards and Combs 41 

Pulling Board 11 

Regulating Draft 14 

Rolls on Backwashing Machine SI 

Rolls or Neps in Carding 42 

Rule for Drafting 12 

Scaife Lifter Motion 74 

Scouring Yarn, Loss in 55 

Setting of Fallers and Rolls 62 

Soap in Backwashing 29 

Speed of Rolls in Carding 44 

Standard for Moisture in Tops 25 

Standards of Regain for Textile Materials 82 

Standardizing Drawing Machinery 9 

Tests for Oil 38 

Testing Amount of Oil in Top 40 

Top Finishing 46 

Tops, Numbers for 52 

Twist in Worsted Yarn 22 

Weight of Sliver in Tops 36 



We Can Supply any Machine Needed 
to Equip Worsted Mills. 



Ours is not a limited line, for we are sole sell- 
ing agents in the United States for the following : 

Taylor Wadsworth & Co., Leeds, England. 

Hall & Stells, Keighley, England. 

W. E. Layland, Leeds, England. 

Geo. Hodgson, Ltd., Bradford, England. 

James Yates & Son, Cleckheaton, England. 

P. C. Garnett & Son, Cleckheaton, England. 

Our line includes : 

The Automatic Cap Doffing Frames ; 

The Automatic Flyer Doffing Frames made 
by Hall & Stells ; 

The Whitehead & Layland Patent Hot Air 
Backwashing Machine and also machinery 
and processes for a permanent silk finish for 
Cotton Goods ; 

i^n^TAriAs Jir O f\mv\Avw^ s. P-«»I<p>Hrafed line of 

hinery. 

One copy del. to Cat. Div. 

m 12 «'« E"' 



phia. Pa. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

015 870 930 2 




